


Beyond the Castle Walls

by ThisBirdWithoutACage



Series: The point of no return [1]
Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Badass Mabel Pines, Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dipper has magic, God Bill Cipher, Gods and Goddesses, Human Bill Cipher, Human!Beast, Kidnapping, Lantern-Bearer Wirt, M/M, Nightmare Realm, Older Dipper and Mabel, Possessive Bill Cipher, Royal Pines, The Unknown, Triangle Bill Cipher, cernunnos - Freeform, demonic deals, magic forest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-04-29 13:15:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5128943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisBirdWithoutACage/pseuds/ThisBirdWithoutACage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost eighteen year old twins, Dipper and Mabel, have never ventured outside the castle walls. Almost restless with curiosity, they're anticipating the day they turn eighteen and can make decisions for themselves. That is, until the night of their eighteenth birthday and a secret the twins never knew is discovered. </p><p>And Bill Cipher knows exactly what that secret is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Once upon a time...

**Author's Note:**

> Never written for this fandom. Had been planning to for a long time, but never had the time or ideas to do so. But I've always wanted to do a royal AU, so I thought why not? Anyway, I have no idea when I'll update next because I'm a college student and I have things to do, but I'll update when I can. Cheers!

The world would have gone to hell if Stanley Pines had become king.

Alright, so maybe saying the world would have gone to hell is a bit of an overstatement, but the man had no interest in being king. Perhaps as a child he did, but as he grew older and saw all the responsibilities that would have befallen him, he abdicated so he could remain a conman and a bachelor for the rest of his life.

Stanford, Stanley’s younger twin brother, had always looked forward to inheriting the throne. He spent his younger years in the royal library, reading books ranging from science to politics. By the time he was ten years old, he was already informed on how the kingdom worked and the best ways to rule and manage the kingdom’s economy and alliances. However, he always favored his books on science and after he turned twenty eight, he disappeared without a trace.

The King and Queen at the time knew they couldn’t convince Stan to be king and quite frankly, they were embarrassed by his scheming ways, so that left the throne to the twins’ younger brother, Shermie, to inherit the kingdom. And at eighteen years old, the young boy did. Four years later, he married a princess from the kingdom nearby and they had a son, Aaron.

Aaron, like his Uncle Stanford, was quite intelligent, but less so than his Uncle. He grew up into a fine man and often had many of the ladies of the court and kingdom fawn over. With his curled chestnut brown hair, blue eyes, and dimpled smile, it was no wonder he caught the eye of many women. However there was only one woman who’d ever caught his attention.

Michaela Smith was the daughter of one of the nobles who hailed from a kingdom far away. With smooth pale skin, ivory black hair and cool dark brown eyes, it was no wonder Prince Aaron fell in love with her. They courted for a year and she was the one who helped him the most after King Shermie died after a fatal heart attack. Aaron was then crowned king and without a second question, Michaela married him and was proclaimed Queen.

The kingdom was prosperous under Aaron and Michaela’s reign, however, problems were rising on the borders. While Shermie was an effective ruler, he had made a lot of enemies. Especially from the neighboring kingdom. A man named Bud was King there and he and Shermie despised each other. So it was no surprise that he and Aaron hated each other as well.

There was also the issue of children. For almost ten years, Aaron and Michaela could produce no children. A rumor soon spread that their beloved Queen was barren. The King and Queen grew desperate for a child of their own. They turned to every healer and physician they could, but the result was always the same. They were about ready to give up during a visit with their final healer, when the old woman pulled on the Queen’s sleeve.

“If you want a child so badly,” the healer spoke in a hoarse, ragged voice. “Then go into the Gravity Falls forest and seek out Cipher.”

The King and Queen almost froze at the sound of that name. All the candles from the woman’s shop had blown out at the mention of the name. Cipher was an Ancient Demon whom no living person had ever seen. And by living means the people who seek him out never returned. King Filbrick Pines, Aaron’s grandfather, had sent many of his greatest knights to destroy Cipher, but only the horses and bits and pieces of armor had ever returned. After that, King Filbrick decreed that no one shall ever enter the forest.

And for almost a hundred years, no one had.

But King Aaron and Queen Michaela were desperate. So one day, in early December, they took two horses and journeyed alone into the forest. They’d been told it was an odd place; where all sorts of creatures from gnomes to unicorns dwelled, but for an hour, they encountered nothing. They had no idea where this so called Cipher lived, but they had to find him. The royal line had to continue or the chaos of establishing new rulers would occur after they died.

For an entire day, they traveled. Towards the evening, when they were about to give up and leave, it happened. The darkened forest was illuminated with golden light that was so blinding, the King and Queen were forced to cover their eyes. King Aaron drew his sword, ready to fight whatever creature came before them.

“Woah, whoa, whoa, King put the sword down!” A high pitched voice cackled in amusement. “We don’t want anyone to hurt themselves now do we?”

Instantly, the King dropped the sword the second it began to melt in his hands and to a sticky pile on the forest floor. The golden light had died down and a golden triangular being with a top and cane stood before them. Well, floated before them. Its singular eye stared at them in amusement. “Well if it isn’t the King and Queen. Here! Deer teeth for you, My Queen!”

Instantly deer teeth fell into the Queen’s hands, the blood and gums still attached. She shrieked, throwing them to the floor. King Aaron glared angrily at the being. “You dare disrespect my Queen like that, you icosoles monster!”

“Isosceles monster? Haven’t heard that one before,” the triangle laughed. “The name’s Bill Cipher, and I know what you want, King Aaron.”

The King stared at him dubiously. “How do you know?”

“Oh, I know lots of things,” he seemed to grow bigger, body flashing with images. “Lots of things.”

“Do you think you could help us?” Queen Michaela spoke up quietly, stepping over the deer teeth on the ground. “We humbly ask you for help. We will do anything you ask us.”

“Anything, huh?”

“Yes,” her eyes were earnest, and she gripped her husband’s hand for support. “We have tried a very long time for children of our own. Please, we’ve heard of your powers and we ask for your assistance.”

The triangle demon brought his hand to the top of his cane thoughtfully. “Now, considering your grandfather was a pain in my side, I could say no,” his eyes leered down at the two of them as they tensed. “But I’ve decided I will. For a price.”

“Whatever you want, we’ll give it to you,” the King vowed. “Name your price.”

“Oh, you’ll know when I come to you. When I want something from you, I’ll tell you,” his eye glowed unnaturally, his right hand bursting with blue flame. “We gotta deal, Pines?”

The King looked to the Queen, who nodded in acceptance. “Very well,” King Aaron took the hand and shook it.

Bill Cipher laughed. “Alright, here you go Queenie!” he produced a vile from his left hand, tossing it in the Queen’s hands. “Take this right before you and your husband make love and rest assured, you will have kids.”

“Thank you,” the Queen bowed respectfully.

Cipher disappeared in a flash of golden light, leaving the two royals in the middle of the forest. Immediately, they set a course for the palace in anticipation for what was about to come. The court could not find out about what they did, so it had to remain a secret. The last thing they needed was a scandal and potentially a revolution.

After returning to the palace and cleaning themselves up, the royals met in their bed chamber. Nervously, Queen Michaela took the vile and drank it, cringing at the foul taste. Whether or not it worked, they wouldn’t know for a few weeks.

However, two weeks later, an announcement was made that the Queen was pregnant.

Before noon on August 31, not one, but two children were born. In similar basinets, the two babies slept next to each other. With their father’s brown hair and their mother’s pale skin, they almost looked like identical twins. The girl, had been named Mabel in respect to Michaela’s grandmother, and the boy had been named Dipper. Many were confused by this, but after seeing the boy, they understood why. On his forehead, a birthmark shaped like the Big Dipper constellation. Neither the King or Queen understood it, nor didn’t the physicians and healers understand it as well.

Still, the babies were healthy and the King and Queen were very satisfied. Their worries were gone and the joys and woes of parenthood were now upon them. Watching their children grow up and managing their kingdom were the top priorities on their minds. In fact, they almost forgot about Bill Cipher.

Until one day before the children’s sixth birthday.

The next six years passed by peacefully, with only a few minor disagreements and such. It was a fine day of the 30 of August, the royal family enjoying lunch in the gardens. Even though she was a little girl, it was obvious that Princess Mabel would be a beauty. With long, wavy chestnut brown hair and laughing dark brown eyes complimented by smooth, rosy skin. She always had energy and was laughing about something that people couldn’t help but feel at ease around her.

Prince Dipper, while similar to his sister, was different. Quiet and observant; he was a bookworm like his Great-Uncle Ford. Even the King would admit that the boy was more than likely smarter than he was. Like Mabel, the boy shared the same pale skin and somewhat messy chestnut brown locks. His eyes, the same shade as his mother and sister, were full of curiosity and intelligence. Many people said it was the like the young prince was observing them silently. Yet when he and his sister were up to something, his eyes would hold the same mischievous gleam and he smiled innocently, as if telling people he could never do wrong.

Along with their parents, they also loved their Great Uncle “Grunkle”, as Mabel called him when she was three. He visited often, even though the King and Queen thought he was a bad influence. He was still family, so he was often over at the palace. Today he was not present, saying something about winning a rare Phoenix from one of his…acquaintances.

So here they were on this fine day. The children had already finished their lunches and were running around while the King and Queen finished their tea. Dipper chased Mabel through the gardens, catching up with her easily. Though running in a dress was not easy for the girl, Mabel exceeded all expectations. She could run faster than half the boys in the kingdom. “Slow down, Mabel!” he called out, stopping to breathe.

“Hurry up, Dipping Dot!” she called back, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m going to beat you!”

“No you won’t!”

She probably would, but the young boy didn’t really care. He chased after her, the echoes of their laughter ringing in the air. They continued to play, completely unaware of the ominous prescience shadowing them. Until they reached the center of the garden and Dipper noticed a strange glowing light coming from the end.

“What is it?” Mabel asked, catching up with him and taking his hand.

“I don’t know,” he asked, now curious.

He stepped forward, Mabel pulling him back. “Maybe we should get Mommy and Daddy,” she whispered, eyeing the light uneasily. “They might know what it is.”

“Let’s check it out,” his curiosity was getting the better of him, and not even Mabel could stop him. He pulled her hand away, instantly hearing her gasp.

“DIPPER NO!” she called out and for the first time in his life, he could hear the fear in her voice.

He continued to walk towards the light, still not entirely sure what it was. What if it was some sort of new species? Or a dinosaur! Or maybe it was a meteor that had fallen from the sky! The possibilities were endless.

He reached his hand out, almost able to touch the light when a pair of arms wrapped around him and lifted him off the ground. He looked up to see his father pull him back from the light, his mother keeping steady hands on Mabel. The light began to laugh, quickly forming into a triangle, complete with a black bowtie, top hat, and cane. His single eye, piercing and practically glowing in amusement stared down at them. “Well, well, Pines,” it greeted in an obnoxiously high voice. “It’s been almost six years. How’s it going?”

“What do you want, demon?” his father asked, tightening his grip on him. “You almost hurt my son!”

“Please, I had no intention of hurting the kid. Not this time, anyway,” the triangle laughed again. “Gosh, you Pines really need to learn to chill.”

“What do you want?” their mother asked, hands protectively around Mabel.

“Remember that little favor you owe me?” the triangle mused.

“Yes,” their father answered, ignoring his children’s’ confused looks. “What do you want from us?”

“Oh, nothing too special. Just give me one of your kids and we’ll be even.”

“Never!” the Queen backed away, Mabel following and hiding behind her skirts. “I’ll die before you touch one of my children!”

“That can be arranged, your highness,” the triangle seemed to grow bigger, staring down at the royal family. “Now, pick which kid you want to give to me. Or I can just take one of them anyway without your blessing. Whichever works.”

“You stay away from my son and daughter!” the King snapped.

Dipper stared up at the triangle with wide eyes. It looked back down at him and his spine tingled in fear. The demon, or whatever it was, radiated power. “Aw, the little prince is kind of cute. Just look at those wide little eyes! It almost makes me want to pluck them out. Princess’s too.”

Dipper glared at the triangle. “You leave my sister alone, you isosceles monster!” he growled at the triangle.

“Oh, he’s a tough one too. I like him. Did you teach him that expression? Tell you what,” the triangle started. “You can keep the kids for another six years. I’ll be back when they’re twelve and by then, you better be willing to give me one of them. Or else!”

“Never!” their father hissed.

“Just remember who gave you those kids!” the triangle warned. “Well, remember: reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold bye!”

He vanished in a flash, the king instantly letting go of his son and letting the boy run to his mother. He sent the children back inside, their mother following closely behind them. He headed into the throne room, Cipher’s laughter still in his ear. He would die before the demon got one of his children; they meant too much to him.

“What are we going to do?” Michaela closed the door gently behind her, tears starting to well in her eyes. “I’m not going to lose any of my children, Aaron. I meant what I said. I will die before I let him touch them.”

“He won’t get them,” he vowed, his hands shaking at the very thought. “We’ll do what we have to in order to keep him away from them.”

“What do you suggest?”

He glanced towards the forest looming outside the castle border. “We never let them out of our sight. At least for now,” he assured his wife. “For the time being, they will never leave the castle. Especially Dipper. The boy is too curious for his own good. Cipher will take advantage of that; I’m sure he will.”

“But we can’t keep them inside the castle walls forever,” Michaela protested. “They’ll get restless.”

“My word is law,” he said firmly. “They will not leave the castle. I won’t have one of my kids end up like Uncle Stanford.”

The Queen’s face fell. “If you really think this is the right thing to do.”

“I do,” he took her hands into his. “I love you and our children too much to allow that demon to hurt us. I swear on my life that he won’t get either Mabel or Dipper.”

That night, they sat at their children’s bed a little longer than normal. The two six year olds slept peacefully, their breathing almost in sync. The Queen smiled softly, pulling on her husband’s hand to go to their room. Even when they left, the children continued to sleep soundly. Mabel had a little smile on her face as she most likely dreamed about unicorns and pretty sweater dresses.

Dipper, on the other hand, face contorted into a frown. He gave a soft little whine of discomfort before he curled into a ball, shaking at the nightmare that plagued him.

Somewhere in the distance, the sound of evil laughter shook the forest.


	2. Six years later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six years later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented, bookmarked, and left kudos! You all deserve free cookies! *Tosses cookies* I watched Over the Garden Wall this weekend and loved it! I don't know why I didn't see it last year, but I was lazy. I didn't even get into Gravity Falls till last year. What was I thinking? *Bows head shamefully* Boy, if my parents knew I shipped an evil triangle and a boy together...I think they would make me see a psychiatrist.

**(Pines’ Castle, six years later)**

The forest had been around for a very long time.

From the very large book in his hand, titled _History of Gravity Falls’ forest,_ Prince Dipper Pines studied it with careful eyes. Long before the kingdom had even come into existence, the forest had been there with its mysteries and dangers. There were stories of people going into the woods and never returning and for a long time, people called it The Unknown. The most famous story he’d heard was the one of two brothers who had ventured in there alone and only one brother ever returned.

Of course, whether or not the story was true was something that remained a mystery to Dipper. He’d never been outside the castle walls in his life. After some strange incident that happened when he was almost six years old, his father forbade them from ever leaving. The years had taken its toll on both his parents and they looked so stressed with age.

He loved them, of course. And he loved his sister and Grunkle Stan as well; couldn’t imagine life without any of them. Grunkle Stan had never ventured inside the forest, but his brother did. He sided with their parents on not going in it; not wanting to see his niece and nephew disappear.

He flipped through the pages absentmindedly before putting the book back on the shelf. He glanced around, opening his satchel to pull out a journal with a six fingered hand on it. In the middle of the hand was the number three and he opened it carefully. He flipped through the crisp, worn pages till he found the place where he left off.

“The Beast,” he whispered, though no one was in the royal library to hear him. “A creature I have only seen once, yet never want to see again. Almost as dangerous as...” He trailed off, now realizing the pages had been ripped out. He groaned. “Who did this to a perfectly good book? Do people not value paper at all?”

“You’re talking to yourself bro-bro,” he let out a high pitched squeal shamefully as his sister attacked him with a hug. “Whatcha reading?”

“A book,” he answered, wrinkling his nose and shrugging his older twin off him. “It’s a journal someone wrote about the forest.”

She looked at it, but didn’t look too interested. Reading was never one of Mabel’s favorite past times unless it was a romantic novel. Girls. “It’s looks stuffy and full of boring information,” she flopped into the chair next to him. “Besides, didn’t Dad get rid of all the books about the forest?”

“Apparently not,” he grinned, glancing towards the red book left on the table. “I found that one a few days ago. It was in a different cover and I just happened to come across it.”

“And where did you get that,” she looked towards the journal. “I’ve never seen a book like that.”

“I was walking outside and uncovered it,” he answered honestly. “I think there are two more books like it because of the number three.”

“Where do you think they are?”

“Don’t know.”

A large grin broke out on her face. “I think you know what it’s time for,” he couldn’t stop the matching grin from growing on his face. “MYSTERY TWINS!”

There was no one else in the kingdom who could match Mabel’s optimism and cheerful nature. It was infectious. Everywhere she went, she was like a ray of sunshine. Even the poor people in the kingdom spoke highly of her, though due to their father’s rule, they didn’t see very much of her. When they did leave the castle to go to town, everyone would fight each other to see them. Mabel shone like the sun, while sometimes, he just felt like her shadow.

However, he often liked to be by himself. His sister could get a little over bearing sometimes and her boy craziness rubbed him the wrong way, so he tried to maintain some distance. She was often with her two best friends, Candy and Grenda, both as odd and boy crazy as she was.

He looked out towards the window at the afternoon summer. Surprisingly for late August, it wasn’t that hot. It was the night of their twelfth birthday and though he wouldn’t deny it, his everyone he knew was acting a little strange. Their parents were acting nervous and fidgety and their Grunkle had been more grumpy than usual. He always felt they were hiding something, but could never figure out what.

“Your bags are getting worse,” Mabel pointed out, poking his face. “Are you having those dreams again?”

She looked concerned and he didn’t blame her. After the incident that had happened when they were younger, the nightmares started. He couldn’t recall the last time he had a good dream, but he knew it was a very long time ago. That’s why he stayed up late; keeping awake for as long as he could. Reading, or studying, whatever kept him awake. The dreams never made sense either. Sometimes he was running through a forest trying to escape a woman with a sword, or sometimes it was just a random monster. Other times, he was running from something he couldn’t see; but he could hear. A high pitched laugh that made him wake up in cold sweat and sometimes a scream.

“When aren’t I having those dreams?” he asked in sarcasm, but she merely shrugged. “Yeah, they seem to be worse lately. More…intense.”

“You want some Mabel juice to keep you up?”

He shuddered. “No thanks,” he was touched by her offer, but this wasn’t her problem. “You should go get ready for the party.”

“Not without you!” she pulled his arm and yanked him from the chair. “It’s our birthday, Dipping Dot, and I’m not going to celebrate it without you!”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope!”

He made a face as she ruffled his hair. The party was always formal, which meant he had to dress up and wear his crown. He hated dressing in fancy clothes, preferring the simple ones he wore around the palace. Dressing up was Mabel’s thing and to be honest, she looked beautiful. She didn’t even have to try. Many people commented on how beautiful they were; like it was an unnatural thing. Like they had perfect genetics or whatever it was the scientists were calling it now.

“Do I have to wear this?” he pulled up the clothes the maids had lain out on his bed. It was a suit with tales that extended to the back of his thighs and a clean white dress shirt. “It makes me look old.”

“We’re turning twelve,” Mabel tisked. “And I picked it out, so you have to wear it.”

“You’re not the boss of me!”

“I’m older than you!”

“By three minutes!”

They grinned at each other and laughed. He could never fight with his twin; she was like his other half. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. “Just put it on,” she demanded, hands on her hips. “You’ll look wonderful.”

“Not as good as you.”

She stuck her tongue out. “Just do it.”

She left the room, yelling something about getting ready with Candy and Grenda. He sighed, exchanging his clothes for the ones she picked out. He looked at himself in the mirror once done, fixing the collar of his shirt. Girls took longer than boys to get ready, so he knew that he wouldn’t see Mabel till the party. He put on his silver crown, the heavy metal starting to hurt his head. He hated going to parties, especially formal ones or business parties that his parents sometimes made him and Mabel go to. Probably to see their neighboring rulers’ children, but he didn’t particularly care for them. Pacifica was full of herself and Gideon…well, Gideon had this huge infatuation with Mabel that fueled his protective brother instincts.

He wandered down the halls, the late summer sun setting slowly down in the west and illuminating the shadows on the walls. From the grand hall, he could hear the orchestra begin to play and the laughter and small talk of the people inside. Before he even laid a hand on the door, Mabel was by his side. “You ready, Prince Dipper,” she bowed dramatically.

“Why of course, Princess Mabel,” he bowed back mockingly while speaking in a stiff, polite voice. “After you, sister dearest.”

“Why thank you, brother mine.”

They pushed the doors open, immediately greeted by their friends and family. He wiped the kiss off his face when his mother kissed his cheek, cheeks now red with embarrassment. Didn’t she know that Lady Wendy was in the room? What if she saw? She would think he was still a kid! “Mom,” he groaned, wincing as and waving awkwardly as Wendy waved to him. “You’ll embarrass me in front of Wendy!”

His mother laughed, dark eyes twinkling mischievously. “That’s the idea.”

The group disbanded then. Dipper hung out with Wendy and their royal handy man, Soos while Mabel danced the night away with her friends and successfully avoided the company of Gideon; who kept trying to get her attention. Despite the formal clothes, it was a nice time. He could see Mabel eyeing the huge frosted pink cake holding twelve candles. He had a feeling the frosting was made from Smile Dip and that was the last thing anyone needed: Mabel on a sugar high.

Even while he partied through the whole night, it didn’t shake off the feeling of uneasiness. He noticed the looks his mother shared with his father. Mabel didn’t notice, she was too busy having fun, but he did. His forehead itched uncomfortably; almost like someone had poked him with a poker. It did this sometimes, though he didn’t know why. Maybe a mosquito had bit him, who knew.

“Lighten up, dude!” Wendy nudged him casually. “It’s your birthday! Enjoy it!”

“I am!” he grinned awkwardly. “I’m having a swell time!”

Swell? Really? That was the best he could come up with? What an idiot.

“Oh, hey, there’s Robby!” she waved over the gothic boy who never smiled and hated Dipper intensely. He came over, giving Dipper a glance.

“Happy birthday,” he grumbled before giving a smile towards Wendy. “You want to dance?”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

He watched in dismay as they journeyed to the dance floor. Mabel was having the time of her life, being spun around by their father. His mother sat on her throne, watching with content eyes. He was more like her; quiet and enjoying the company of family and friends. He headed over to the balcony, where a good view of the forest could be seen.

He didn’t know why he was so drawn to the place. Maybe it was because he was young and full of curiosity. Maybe it was because he had been denied so many times in the past to go exploring. He just couldn’t explain it. It was like a force was nagging at him; pulling for him to come inside. If he listened closely at night, he could hear the sound of the wind singing in his ear in a deep voice, luring him into the forest.

He rubbed at his forehead, the itching burn becoming more intense. It felt like it was on fire, ready to consume him at any moment. His dark eyes scanned the ballroom, watching as the men and women in colorful clothes danced together. It was all completely normal except for one thing. A creature stood near the exit, all teeth and glowing slit-like eyes.

He felt drawn towards it, like it was beckoning him to come closer. His feet moved before he could stop himself and the creature disappeared through the hallway. He followed, not even hearing Mabel call after him. He needed to know what this creature was. A banshee? Harpy? Could it even be a witch? They were common in the kingdom, after all.

 _“That’s it boy,”_ he could hear a voice in his head. _“Follow me, follow me! Let’s play together, shall we?”_

It was like he was being possessed. He kept screaming at himself to not listen; to get his feet to stop moving, but he just followed the creature. His hand reached out towards it slowly, as if wanting guidance. He was near the palace gates, a gust of wind or something opening them as the creature stepped past. It grinned at him, eyes glowing in the dark.

“Dipper!”

He could hear someone calling him and felt a pair of arms grab him. The person holding him shook him. “Dipper! Snap out of it! Wake up!”

The jostling stunned him. “What?” he asked to no one in particular, pain now rolling in his head. “What’s going on?”

His father had pulled him away from the creature. “You leave my family be, Cipher!” his father snapped, holding onto him tightly. “I will never give you any of my children!”

“The boy is mine!” he couldn’t see the creature now; golden light now blinding his vision. “Hand him over Pines before you do something you’ll regret!”

“Never!”

“You’re six years are up,” the creature laughed. “Hand me the boy or I’ll destroy your whole kingdom!”

His father only tightened his hold. “Now!” he called out.

An old woman in dark clothing stepped forward, her gray hair blowing in the wind as she chanted in something that sounded very Latin. The creature hissed in pain, obviously not expecting the attack. “You think you can banish me forever? Please!” it then laughed. “You’re killing me, Pines! Even if I have to wait a bit more, your boy is mine!”

He exploded into golden light and the witch moved forward. “You want me to erase his memory?” she asked. “It could have repercussions. I wasn’t able to deplete all his power; he will be back one day. He is very powerful.”

“Do it,” his father commanded with an ashen face. “Dipper doesn’t need to remember.”

He struggled in his father’s arms. “What? What’s going on? Dad, I’m confused, what-“

“It’s going to be okay,” his father whispered comfortingly. “I won’t let him get us. This won’t happen again.”

“Dad!”

The woman pressed a hand on his forehead and began to chant again. Pain hit him like a ton of bricks and he collapsed, his father supporting him like a baby. The last thing he heard was the laughing of the creature echoing in the night wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys know what to do!


	3. The Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mabel turn eighteen. I think we know what happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thanks to everyone who's commented! Have some Smile Dip! To make reading fun, lets see how many OTGW references I can make ;) just kidding, but the OTGW characters will make their appearances and we'll figure out their stories. My parents know I write fanfiction, they just don't know what exactly it is.

**(Another six years later)**

_“Led through the mist by the milk-light of moon,”_

_“All that was lost is revealed,”_

_“Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring,”_

_“But where have we come? And where shall we end?”_

_“If dreams can’t come true, then why not pretend?”_

_He followed the voice; its sweet, clear voice ringing around in his head. It was his mother’s, he knew that for sure, but why couldn’t he see her?_

_Dipper walked along the darkened forest, out of breath from running for so long. He had somehow gotten away from the woman with the sword, but the singing voice was new. Why was his mother singing in the forest? And why did the words remind him of a song she used to play when he was younger? All of it sang of nostalgia; a bittersweet taste in his mouth._

_“Oh, how the gentle wind beckons through the leaves,”_

_“As autumn colors fall,”_

_“Dancing in a swirl of golden memories,”_

_“The loveliest lies of all,”_

_“The loveliest lies of all….”_

_The voice disappeared and he found himself in a large clearing. The sky was a brilliant blue and the air was warm with the smells of summer. A filed of bright red flowers, poppies if he remembered correctly. He stepped through it, the hairs on the back of his neck tingling. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow, but when he turned his head to look better nothing was there._

_He almost screamed when he nearly tripped over a body._

_A boy, looking around fifteen or sixteen, lay in the field. Peacefully asleep with a red gnome hat on his head. He looked absolutely lost to the world, one hand over his chest and the other gripping tightly onto a lantern that was lit for some odd reason._

_He was half tempted to wake the boy, but he didn’t. The sound of birds flying from the tree startled him and he jumped away from the boy. He thought he saw the shadow again, but nothing was there. He moved away from the sleeping boy, rushing across the field. High pitched laughter followed him and he panicked._

_Then he fell to the ground, darkness and the laughter consuming him._

“DIPPER!”

He jumped, the book falling off his face. Mabel stared down at him, concern creasing her forehead. He lifted himself up, rubbing the back of his hands over his eyes. “Sorry,” he grumbled, the dream still making his stomach churned. “I guess I fell asleep.”

She shook her head. “Dipper, I really think you should take my offer on Mabel juice,” most wouldn’t think she was serious, but he knew better. “Or go to the court physician.”

“Like he can help,” he snorted. “Every sleeping draft they’ve given me doesn’t work. I guess I’m just cursed.”

She sighed in exasperation. “No more moping, little brother,” she teased, pulling him up. “It’s our birthday tonight. The big one-eight!”

He gave a half smile. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“It’s our coming of age! Eighteen at last! We’re grownups!”

He didn’t know quite how to feel about that. He still hadn’t quite grasped the concept of being eighteen yet. He sure didn’t feel eighteen, but his body protested. He had filled out over the years. His noodle like body had gained some muscle over the years and after he turned thirteen, his growth spurt hit. He was a good 175 cm. Not especially tall, but definitely not short. He certainly was not shorter than Mabel; who know stood at his shoulder.

He wasn’t bad looking. Sure he had gone through an awkward acne faze, but so did everyone else. Now his complexion was clear and his voice a bit deeper. He was very relieved when it wouldn’t crack anymore and now Mabel couldn’t tease him.

Speaking of his sister, she had filled out nicely over the years. Her hair was still long, but it fell in wavy curls against the small of her back. Her dresses showed off more of her curves and she definitely was the beauty of the whole kingdom like their mother had once been. Their identical dark brown eyes still shone with a childlike innocence, but they were certainly not children anymore.

“Dipper?”

He turned his head at Mabel’s voice. “What?”

She twisted her lips into a frown. “Do you think we’ll have to think about marriage now?” he voice, full of worry, worried him. “And I’ll have to leave you, and Mom and Dad, and Grunkle Stan, and-“

“Mabel,” he interrupted, taking her hand. “Mom and Dad would never pressure you into marriage. And we’ll always be together; no matter what. Nothing will tear us apart.”

“You promise?”

He smiled. “I promise. Mystery twins?”

“Mystery twins.”

The smile returned to her face; mirroring his own. He wasn’t discouraging her worries. He definitely feared for the future, but he knew things would change. They would eventually settle down and have families of their own. Maybe one of them would be in a different kingdom, but there was no way of knowing that right now and he wouldn’t dwell on it.

“You know you have to be dressed formally tonight, right?”

He groaned. “Are you serious? Mabel!”

“Don’t you Mabel me!” she sassed, holding up a dark tux. “It’s a masquerade ball and you have to be dressy! I even made you a mask!”

“Damn,” he grumbled, taking the mask she handed him. “I’ll still be recognizable.”

“Not if no one knows what you’re wearing!”

“Mabel, don’t you see the flaws in this plan? People will know my voice, you know.”

“Pssh, no they won’t! Now get dressed! I’ll meet you in the hall!”

She danced off, most likely to go get ready. He still hated getting dressed up, but at least their parents had allowed them to not wear their crowns tonight. Supposedly their father was going to announce which one of them would inherit the throne. He wouldn’t deny it; he was nervous. It gnawed at him and made his stomach feel queasy. What if he wasn’t fit to rule? Did he even want to be king? Would it be better if Mabel was the reigning sovereign?

The dreams were more intense than ever. Some nights he even woke up with bruises. Shortly after their twelfth birthday, he and his sister had to switch rooms. She kept the room they had as children and he got one near the library. It was hard at first, but at least Mabel could sleep without hearing him wake up in the middle of the night in terror. The last thing he wanted was to make Mabel miserable. He would just have to suffer in silence.

He adjusted the collar around his neck, rolling his eyes. He looked good, no doubt about that. Long ago, he would have spent time wondering if Wendy would notice him, but he had long ago gotten over his crush on her. Even Robbie had too. The Gothic man was now in a very long term committed relationship with a girl named Tambry.

He put the white mask, embroidered with gold over his face. He grinned in spite of himself. At least Mabel took the time and effort to make it look good. He exited his room, finding said twin only a moment later. She looked beautiful in a stunning red dress. Her mask was black and embroidered with silver, clashing and coordinating with his. “You look like a gentleman, bro-bro.”

“And you look like a lady, Maybes.”

He linked his arm into hers, entering the ballroom. The party was already underway, ladies and noblemen dancing gracefully against the white marble floor. Mabel was instantly surrounded by young men and she laughed, completely at ease. She chose one with a white and red mask, the other women around her staring with envy.

He smiled, leaning against a pillar. He never was one for dancing; still had two left feet. He’d rather be in his room or the library reading. He did dance with his mother once and Mabel twice during the evening, but he mostly small talked with his friends and Grunkle, who despised formal dancing as much as he did. He did dance with Wendy, but it was interrupted by another man who then whisked her away to another section of the room.

So, here he was now, alone on his birthday.

Well, not really alone; he was never alone. He watched Mabel dance with their father, who looked happier than he had in years. The years had been kind to their parents. Both of them were starting to get wrinkles and their hair was beginning to gray. They still looked wonderful, though, and many thought his mother’s beauty was immortal. Obviously when they said this, they looked to him and Mabel.

“Care to dance?”

He jumped, hearing a voice behind him. A man dressed in a yellow suit offered a black gloved hand, a smirk on his face. His blonde hair covered the right half of his mask, which was black with gold designs. His voice was eerily familiar, but he couldn’t place why. He shook his head. “No thank you,” he looked at Mabel, now giving him a large grin. “Why not ask a lady?”

“Who says I want to dance with a lady?”

His face turned red, understanding the man’s meaning. “Oh, well,” he stumbled, not knowing what to say. “I’m not a very good dancer.”

“I’ll lead; you just follow,” the man’s hand was still extended. “Come on, Prince, just take my hand.”

He took the hand, the man pulling him onto the dancefloor. In the throng of the crowd, no one paid any attention to them. “Wait,” he found himself saying. “How do you know me?”

The man winked. “The eyes,” he answered. “I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.”

He blushed. “Thanks.”

The song was fast, the man spinning him around the floor hypnotically. Something wasn’t right, he knew that. He wanted to pull away and run, but the man’s one eye held him in place. It was a golden color and not like a golden brown, but an actual yellow. The pupil was narrowed like a cat and his teeth looked a little too sharp to be human. He tugged in the man’s arms as he held him in place. “Your teeth,” he started. “And your eye. They don’t look right.”

The man faltered a little, but the grin never left his face. “Smart boy,” he crooned, a gloved hand stroking his face. “Didn’t take you long at all, but I expected none the less, Pine tree.”

He tensed, recognizing the nickname. There was only one thing that called him Pine tree and that thing was…well, he didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t take long for him to put the pieces together. “Let me go!” he snapped. “Or I’ll scream!”

“No you won’t,” the man spun him around in the opposite direction. “Or I’ll kill everyone in this room.”

The crazy smile on his face didn’t falter. Dipper knew he was serious; there was no way anyone would just joke like that. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“The name is Bill, Bill Cipher,” the man’s face was very close to his. “And you’re mine now, boy.”

The whole room burst into golden light. The dancers all broke apart, scattering and giving shrieks. Bill was glowing so brightly that it hurt his eyes. He moved to get away, but a hand grabbed his wrist. Bill pulled his body back towards his, a blue flame like cuff now chaining him to the demon. His father and mother looked horrified.

“It’s you!” his father gasped. “But I-“

“Banished me?” Bill laughed. “Honestly Pines, you may have depleted my powers, but it didn’t take me long to get them back. Six years is nothing. Gave me the opportunity to work on new forms. What do you think?”

He levitated into the air, pulling Dipper up with him. Mabel dashed forward, only to be held back by the king. “Release my son!” he shouted, drawing his sword. “And leave my family be!”

Bill only narrowed his eye. “You and your wife sure are ungrateful. I mean, I did _have_ to give you those kids.”

Mabel paused. “Dad, what’s he talking about?”

“Not now, Mabel,” their father snapped. “Cipher, I swear to God I will kill you if you hurt my son!”

“Relax, I’m not going to hurt him. Too hard,” the demon laughed. “You should have given me him years ago, like I told you to do. It would have made the separation easier if you weren’t so attached.”

“Just leave us alone!” his mother called out, anguish in her voice. “Let my son go! Take one of us instead!”

“Nice offer, Queen,” Bill rolled his eye. “But I don’t want any of you. The boy is mine. Don’t you think his birthmark is proof enough? I created that symbol before they were even born; to decide which twin I wanted. And a deal’s a deal, King. I told you I would get one of your children one way or another.”

“Guards!” their father shouted. “Get my son away from that demon!”

“I don’t think so!” Bill’s powers threw the knights across the room; the sound of their armor smashing into pieces against the wall. “I came here and got what I wanted, Pines.”

“Dipper!” Mabel called out, reaching towards him. “Let go of my brother!”

“Mabel!” he struggled in the demon’s grasp. “Let me go, you freak!”

“Freak? That’s not very nice, Pine tree,” Bill chided, tapping him on the nose. “Now say goodbye, Pine tree. This is the last you’ll see of your family.”

“NO!”

Everything went black after that. Bill placed a slim finger on his forehead and chanted something. He slowly fell into oblivion, with Mabel and his family’s screams the last thing he heard.

* * *

 

**(Bill)**

He placed the young man on the bed, the prince completely unaware of the world.

Bill grinned, removing the mask from his face. It may have twelve years for him to get the boy, but no matter now. He had him and the royal family would never find him. The Unknown was vast and dangerous. They would die before they ever found their son.

In a strange sense, the boy almost reminded him of the other one. Only he had been much older and more of a nuisance than anything else. Of course, Dipper wasn’t going to be happy that he’d been taken from his home, but Bill found he didn’t really care. The boy had potential and if he admitted to himself, being in the forest felt lonely at times. A companion wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

And the boy’s powers were limitless. He was pretty much the result of a demonic deal; magic coursed through him! His sister, too, though most of it was in the boy. The nightmares were a gift from him, a little taste of what life in The Unknown was like. He would make sure the woman in red never got him and that the other creatures left him alone. Especially that Cernunnos or whatever it was the kids were calling him these days. Besides, he had his own little toy to play with.

As long as Dipper did what he wanted, he wouldn’t be hurt. He had no intention of killing him, but he knew the boy was going to fight. Fight was in the Pines’ family nature. Stubbornness too. He placed a hand on the young man’s cheek, humming under his breath before it turned into a song.

_“Oh, how the gentle wind beckons through the leaves,”_

_“As autumn colors fall,”_

_“Dancing in a swirl of golden memories,”_

_“The loveliest lies of all,”_

_“The loveliest lies of all….”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what to do!


	4. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper awakes and is not happy. I repeat, not happy. Not that Bill seems to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, thanks to everyone who commented! I give you all free cookies again! Enjoy them! Anyway, I was going to update Friday, but I had to go to my Grandma's house and she doesn't have internet. The chapter was ready, but I didn't have time to update it. I love my Grandma, though, so it was worth it. I have an idea for a new story; kind of like a prequel. It would focus on Wirt and how he ended up as the Lantern-Bearer. This version of The Unknown is a bit different, so bear with me please.

He awoke from the dreamless sleep in a start.

Dipper jumped up from the bed and quickly regretted that action. He felt more exhausted than he should. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep and quite frankly, it was the best sleep he’d had in his short life. Considering the fact he woke up in terror most nights or didn’t sleep at all. Coffee and books were his best friends.

“Wakey, wakey, Pine tree. You’ve been asleep for two whole days.”

He let out an undignified shriek, almost tripping over a tree root. The same man who’d kidnapped him, Bill Cipher, appeared in his view with a sharp smile. “Get away from me!” he snapped to the demon, backing up. “You isosceles monster!”

Isosceles monster? Why did that sound so familiar…?

“Isosceles monster? Gee, I’ve never heard that one before,” Bill rolled his one eye. “Now Pine tree, I think it would be a good idea if you hear me out first before you-“

“Go to hell!” he spat, the demon looking anything but impressed. “Where am I? Oh God, I’ve been kidnapped! Who are you? Why did you take me? What do you want with me?”

“One question at a time,” the demon grinned. “Your confusion is hilarious, but you need to work on your listening skills.”

The demon moved forward, successfully pining him to the tree. One hand over his head, preventing him from moving. “First of all, Pine tree, you will talk to me with more respect.”

“Fat chance,” Dipper snorted. “I don’t respect kidnappers.”

Bill obviously didn’t like that and a black gloved hand quickly struck him across the face. His cheek stung and for a second, tears blurred in his eyes. Bill stepped back slightly, but still looked rather threatening. “If you want answers, I suggest your shut your mouth before I shut it for you,” a crazy light lit the demon’s eye. “Now, are you ready to be quiet?”

Knowing it would be best for him to remain quiet, he nodded.

Bill smiled again. “You’re a smart boy, Pine tree. I think you know where you are,” he paused briefly, waiting for Dipper to reply. When all he got was a blank stare, he sighed. “The Unknown, kid. I’ve brought you to my home.”

Oh dear God in heaven, this was the worst thing ever! He felt the blood drain from his face. “The…Unknown?” he whispered, throat now dry. “You mean I’m in the forest? Where everyone is forbidden to go?”

“Right-o!” Bill ruffled his hair. “You sure are smart, Pine tree. Definitely a lot smarter than the other guy.”

“Other guy?”

Bill ignored that last question. “I live in the Unknown, kid. My name is Bill Cipher, and for your information, I am not a demon or monster. I am a god.”

Dipper gave him a blank look, left eye brow raised skeptically. “Seriously? You’re a god?” he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he maintained his poker face. “A crazy forest god kidnapped me. Great, just great.”

Bill frowned. “I wouldn’t speak so freely around a god, Pine tree. There are some gods in this forest who don’t take so kindly to disrespect. You’re lucky that I have you and not some of the other ones. The woman in red certainly wouldn’t be kind to you.”

“Wait? There are more gods? What kind of forest is this?”

Again, Bill ignored his question. “As to your last questions, you’re the product of a deal, kid. Your parents made a deal with me and you and your sister were the result. Basically, you’re made from magic if you want to get technical.”

“And you-“

“Ah, ah, let me finish,” Bill tapped his nose. “As for their part of the deal, your dearest mommy and daddy promised to give me one of their kids. I picked you, but they refused for twelve years. I almost got you on your twelfth birthday, but man do those depleting runes take a toll on you.”

He was at a loss for words as Bill laughed; as if this were all some hilarious story. He wanted to move away, but Bill moved his arms to encircle his waist. The demon, God, whatever he was, racked a slender hand through his hair, pulling back his curly bangs. “That birthmark is a symbol I created, Pine tree,” his voice was low, almost a purr. “Pretty well made, if I say so myself.”

He pushed the creature away, feeling very exposed and vulnerable. He didn’t like it. Not at all. This…this was just too much to take in. There were so many things he wanted to say; wanted to scream. Yet all he could ask in the end was: “Why me?”

Bill only smiled, and a chill went down his spine. “Why you indeed. There’s so much more to you, Dipper Pines,” the very way he said his name sent another shiver down his back bone. “Your darling parents never let you out of the castle, did they?”

“No,” he didn’t know why he was admitting this to the god, but he figured the creature already knew the answer. “But why do you care? Just let me go home! My sister and parents are probably worried sick!”

“No can do, Pine tree,” Bill shook his head, not even concealing his contentment. “There’s no going back to that place. You belong here in the forest,” he somehow managed to pull Dipper back to him, burying his face in the juncture where his shoulder and neck met. “With me. You’re all mine, Dipper Pines. And I don’t like sharing.”

“Get…get away!” he inwardly smacked himself for his voice cracking. “I belong to no one!”

“Hm, the mark on your forehead seems to disagree.”

Speaking of that stupid birthmark, it wasn’t burning. Usually there was an odd sort of tingle; a burning sensation that happened at least several times a day. Now, it felt cool to the touch. He let his fingers linger on it, surprised that it didn’t even react. Could it be true that the god had something to do with it?

“See, Pine tree?” Bill started, gripping his chin a little too firmly. “You’re mine. All mine and I won’t share you with anyone. You’ll just have to forget about your life back home.”

“What?” he struggled against the man’s embrace. “Forget my family? No! I won’t!”

“Really Pine Tree, it’ll make things a lot easier if you do,” Bill sighed dramatically. “There’s just little puppets. Humans come and go all the time; your lives are expendable.”

The way he was talking made him want to wretch. “You’re sick,” he spat, glaring up at the demon. “You can’t expect me to forget my family, are you mad?”

“Sure, what’s your point?”

He brought up his hand to give him a left hook, but the blonde caught his wrist. He added pressure to it, bending it backwards till he had Dipper crying out in pain. “I think this little puppet is getting a little too cocky for his own good. I think he needs to be reminded on who’s in charge here,” he leaned in close, breath on Dipper’s face. “I am in charge here, Pine tree. If I wanted I could kill you right here, right now. Or I could lay you down on the ground in front of all the forest eyes. I could rape you, Pine tree. I could make you forget everything in the entire world. All you would know is me and what I’m doing to you. Keep pushing your luck Pine tree and eventually, it will run out.”

He released Dipper, scurried away from him the moment he could. The Prince dashed off into the thick, green trees; shoes crunching the twigs and leaves on the ground as he ran. Bill’s laughter echoed in his ears. “Where are you running to, Pine tree? You’ll get lost. You can’t get away from me that easily. I’ll find you. Mark my words, I will.”

He ignored the god and kept on running.

Bill sighed, raising an eye to the sky in annoyance. “I forgot how stubborn this family is. More trouble than they’re worth sometimes,” he didn’t stop the fond smile from forming. “It will be fun to break him. I should ask Cernunnos how he broke his little puppet.”

With that, he disappeared into golden light and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Dipper raced across the forest, completely unaware of his surroundings. Many of the trees and places he stopped at were familiar, but how could that be? He’d never physically been to the woods, but in his dreams however…it didn’t make any logical sense, but he had a feeling Bill didn’t make any sense.

“Damnit,” he grumbled, pushing apart some branches that lay in his path. “Where the hell am I? How am I going to get home?”

He shoved more branches from his path, stomping on the leaves that lay on the ground. He could see a field right in front of him, the red flowers practically an eye sore amongst the greens and browns of the forest. Was that gnome boy there? Maybe he was in trouble; lost even!

He hurried through the flowers, nose itching as the pollen tickled his nostrils. Poppies made people tired, didn’t it? He covered his mouth and nose, making sure not to inhale any of the substance. The field was large. It would take a long time to cover every inch of it and even then, the boy may not even exist. Perhaps it was just a dream…

“Excuse me, are you lost?”

He half expected to hear Bill’s voice, not the voice of a young teenager. The boy he’d seen in his dreams stood before him awkwardly, lantern swinging in his hands. A red gnome hat sat perched on his head and a navy blue cap engulfed his thin shoulders. He was only an inch or two shorter than him, but his dark eyes were calm. “Do you know where you are?” the boy asked calmly.

“The Unknown,” he responded back automatically, surprised with how calm he sounded. “Who are you?”

“I’m Wirt,” the boy answered. Wirt. An odd name, but Dipper couldn’t exactly say it was any odder than his name. The boy extended his right hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Dipper Pines,” he gave his name freely, not missing the spark of acknowledgement that flared in the boy’s eyes. “Can you tell me how to get home? I live in the castle; surely you’ve seen it?”

Wirt shook his head. “No. Not many are able to navigate this place. I’ve never seen the castle before,” Wirt furrowed his brow. “How did you get here?”

“Some guy named Bill Cipher kidnapped me,” Dipper grumbled, following the boy as he motioned for him to walk with him. “Ever heard of him?”

“Who hasn’t heard of Lord Cipher,” Wirt snorted. “He’s the second most powerful god in this forest.”

“Second most?”

Wirt glanced behind him, almost as if he were afraid something were following them. “There are lots of gods in the forest, Dipper. Some nicer than others; some more powerful than others. It’s definitely not safe for someone to be out here on their own.”

Dipper gave him a look. “You’re out here on your own?”

The boy’s lips twisted into a wry smile, and he noticed carefully, sadly. “I have lived in this forest for a very long time. I know my way around,” he looked to the lantern with an impassive face. “It is a knowledge I must have in order to survive. We all have a burden to bear.”

Dipper didn’t really know what he was talking about, but decided not to push it. “Where do you come from?”

“Hm?” Wirt asked. “Oh, I don’t really remember. My home didn’t have a name; we were just a collection of scattered houses.”

He frowned. That didn’t sound right. Gravity Falls, the kingdom of the Pines family, had been around for two hundred years. If he remembered correctly, there were nothing but small houses grouped together before the kingdom had been officially declared. That being said, that was nearly…two hundred years ago…

“Why are you here?” he asked, a little unsettled now.

Wirt didn’t answer that. He moved through the woods slowly, the branches seemingly parting for him willingly. Odd. “So, how did you find your way into the forest?” he asked, carefully stepping over a tree branch. “Was it by accident or…”

“Does it really matter?” Wirt stopped walking, the lantern casting an eerie glow on the now darkened forest. His eyes stared straight ahead, looking almost black in the dark. “We all ended up here for various reasons. Whether by accident or not.”

They walked in silence for several moments; the sounds of the animals and possible other magic creatures filling in the gap. Wirt seemed like an okay guy; he hadn’t tried to kill him. At least, not yet. Dipper wished he had the journals with him, wondering if the other two mentioned a boy carrying a lantern. Could it be the Author never stumbled across him? Or worse, he never had the chance to record him?

“Did you have a family?” he blurted out, but quickly regretted it. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“It’s fine,” Wirt gave a small shrug. “My dad died when I was little and my mom remarried. I have a half-brother named Greg.”

He noted the fond smile the young teen gave, nostalgia and something else in his eyes. “I have a twin sister, Mabel,” he fell in step next to Wirt, not meeting his eyes. “She’s really energetic and always doing random things.”

“Greg did too,” he spoke as if the young boy was dead. “He was a good kid; a real good kid. He deserved a better brother.”

Okay, now things were just getting awkward. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, not quite knowing how to respond to that. He glanced around the forest, finding this part oddly familiar. “Hey, where are we going?”

Wirt didn’t respond. A large bramble of branches parted for them and Wirt stepped through easily. Dipper was having a hard time grasping that the forest seemed to have a life of its own, but had a feeling Wirt wasn’t going to give him exact answers. Maybe the younger boy didn’t quite know himself. Man, he wished Mabel were here. Then they could be Mystery twins.

The thought of Mabel made his heart ache. He’d never been separated from his twin. Even when they had to switch rooms, he never felt far away from her. She was his other half; the one person who truly understood him without question. Sure they were different, but they were best friends. He couldn’t just forget her!

“We’re almost there; just a bit further,” Wirt spoke, the lantern now looking odd in the natural sunlight that entered the woods. “You shouldn’t have run off alone; you’re lucky I found you.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he mumbled.

“Last thing you’d want is for the gnomes to get you,” the dark haired boy shivered. “Gnomes are nasty and not something you want to deal with.”

“What about the woman with the sword?”

Wirt looked at him curiously. “How do you know about her? I thought you’ve never been here?”

“I haven’t, well, not physically,” he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s kind of a long story. A really long and complicated story.”

“I’ve got time.”

So he told Wirt, and much to his surprise, the boy took it all in with a passive face. He’d nod here and there, but he knew he was listening. “Really, I’m not surprised,” Wirt said after Dipper finished his story. “Cipher has always been a bit…extravagant. A bit theatrical, I admit. It takes a certain level of patience to deal with him.”

“Really Lover boy, am I that bad?”

Dipper froze, eyes widening at the sound of that voice. Wirt rolled his eyes, the lantern now still in his hands. Bill seemed to materialize out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around Dipper. “I’m not that bad,” Bill shrugged. “Better than antler guy over there.” He indicated towards the left, but nothing was there. At least, nothing that could be seen.

“Let me go,” Dipper struggled, but it was no use. The god’s arms were like iron. “Asshole, release me at once!”

“Ooh, I see a bit of that royal attitude is coming through,” Bill snickered, running ah and down his face. “We’ll have to work on that later,” he looked to Wirt. “Thanks for bringing him back to me. You’re such a good boy.”

He gave a shocked look to the boy. “You were returning me to him the whole time?!”

Wirt couldn’t even look at him. “I was asked to. My master commanded me to and if I disobey him...” he trailed off, but Dipper knew how the rest of the sentence would have gone down.

“Well, thanks again, Lover boy!” Bill called out cheerfully. “Maybe my little pet one day will be as good as you!”

Wirt didn’t say anything more. He turned around to the left, walking off into the parting trees. For a brief moment, Dipper swore he could see a pair of eyes looking at him through the darkness. Bill hummed a random tune, scooping him up in his arms as if he were a bride. His face went red. “Put me down!” he snapped. “Put me down right now!”

“Such a demanding little Pine tree,” Bill cooed. “So bossy to the one who could literally end his life right now.”

A threat in such a sweet tone; Dipper didn’t like it at all. He glowered up at Bill, ceasing his struggling, but he hoped the demon knew how angry he was. If Bill knew, and boy he better, he didn’t care. He dumped Dipper in the spot where he woke up, towering over him. “Now it’s time for Pine tree to go to sleep.”

“What? I just woke up! I slept for two days!”

“Go to sleep, Pine tree,”

Bill placed a hand on his forehead, chanted something, and once again, his world was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

  **(Bill)**

He hadn’t expected that dealing with his Pine tree would be this difficult.

Bill hovered in the air, arms placed behind his head in a relaxing position. Adjusting to this form had been difficult, but it made blending in with the humans a lot easier. Of course, some caught on that he was not normal, but most shrugged it off. Some of the gods had a more difficult time with this, but Bill had essentially perfected his human form. The humans were just so fun to play with!

His prince slept peacefully in the bed he’d made for him. His breathing was even and his face so relaxed. The young man probably didn’t even remember the time he’d had a relaxing sleep without nightmares. He wasn’t going to give him any right now; he wasn’t _that_ cruel.

Okay, that was a lie, but he wasn’t going to make his prince suffer any more than he had to.

Perhaps it was time he paid Cernunnos a visit. He had intended to do it earlier, but the god had been out doing who knows what. He ran across his little human, Wirt, and asked the young boy to find his Pine tree.

Humming a little ditty, he made his way to the other god’s home. Pine tree was safe in his territory, so he didn’t have to worry about him or other creatures bothering him. If there was one thing the creatures of this forest knew, was that you never mess with Bill Cipher unless you want to die. In a painful, hilarious way of course.

“Cernunnos!” he called out, once in the god’s territory. “Come out, come out! I want to have a little chat!”

“What do you want, Cipher?”

The trees parted as the shadowy god appeared. His voice was low and almost foreboding, but a pair of glowing eyes stood out against the dark silhouette of his body. Bill grinned. “I just wanted to chat, old friend. It’s been a while.”

The other god stared at him with an unreadable expression. “What do you want, Cipher? I have other things to do than entertain you.”

“Oh relax, Cerny,” he could feel the other god glare at him, but he didn’t care. “Or do I call you The Beast? Which do you prefer?”

The horned god circled around him, shadows now engulfing the entire area. Bill didn’t care; he was used to the god’s preference of darkness. “I have a question, Cernunnos,” he started, all business now. “How did you get your little human to obey you and follow you without question?”

The other god looked at him in amusement. “The acclaimed Bill Cipher can’t even control one little human. You’ve lost your touch. Perhaps you should give him to me; he’d make a fine Edelwood tree.”

“Hm, I don’t think so. I got plans for him,” he smiled, a rather mad look in his face. “He’ll be very useful in the future.”

The god cocked his head. “What are you planning?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” the smile on his face was deranged; a smile that could make thousands of people go mad. “In the meantime, where’s your little pet?”

The horned god moved away as a lantern appeared. Wirt gave an annoyed look to him. “You shouldn’t have kidnapped him,” the boy started bravely. He had to admire this kid; nothing scared him anymore. “Taking him away from his family-“

“Oh spare me, Lover boy,” Bill sighed, waving a hand dismissively. “We all know how much family means to you. You did essentially sacrifice yourself for that little runt of a brother.”

Apparently the mention of the little boy set Wirt off into a rage. He dashed forward, axe swinging. He wasn’t concerned, for a shadowy hand grabbed the boy’s wrist. The beast looked at him with hollow eyes. “Really Cipher, antagonizing boys is beneath you,” the god stroked the boy’s face with a clawed hand. “It would be in your best interest to leave my lantern-bearer alone.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt him,” Bill rolled his one eye. “You’d probably try and kill me.”

“You’re pushing your luck,” the god’s voice dropped even lower. “I am infinitely older than you, Cipher. You will talk to me with respect or it will be your soul that is turned into an Edelwood tree.”

“You can try to turn me into a tree,” Bill laughed. “But it won’t work.”

The god stepped back, hand still on the boy’s face. “No,” he finally decided. “It will not work. But I can make your life here miserable. Need I remind you that you have many enemies? Ones from a time long ago.”

“I’m working on that,” the smile on his face faltered. “We’ll achieve our goals. That’s what my Pine tree is here for.”

Wirt frowned. “What are you talking about?”

The horned god placed a hand over the boy’s mouth. “Hush, lover boy,” the god crooned into the boy’s ear. “Hush.”

Alright, Bill couldn’t deny that his old friend could be really creepy at times. Wirt did become silent; an almost glazed look in his eyes. Whatever the god did to him must work because the boy looked like he was high. Or under hypnosis, whatever worked. Cernunnos, with his hands on the boy’s shoulders, stared at him. “Obedience must be grounded into them. You cannot allow them to speak so freely. You must remind them that their life is in your hands.”

“Okay, I think I’ve been doing that,” he checked off the little bullet points in his head. “Anything else?”

“A little suffering is not a bad idea,” the god almost sounded amused. “Reminds them of who exactly is in control of the situation.”

The horned god disappeared into the shadows, taking Wirt along with him. The words reminded Bill of just how old his friend really was.

His advice, though, would be taken into heart. Pine tree would learn to love him, even if it hurt him in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comment box below!


	5. A day in the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wirt and Greg bond a little discuss the nature of The Unknown and the secrets within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented! I shower you all with chocolate cake! *Tosses cake* Enjoy! Anyways, there's a lot in store for all our characters! I've introduced a few new ones that I think you all will like ;) Writing Bill is kind of hard, so keep encouraging! I find writing The Beast to be quite easy. Isn't that weird? Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Also, the prequel to this story is now up! It's called Long way down if you haven't already found it!

When Dipper awoke, he was alone.

The mid-morning sun shone gently down on his face; dark brown eyes opening to a flawless blue sky. A few green leaves fell on the ground next to him, his right hand batting them away as they tried to land in his hair. While most would think sleeping on the ground to be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t. He’d slept in odder positions before and the grass beneath him felt like his mattress back home.

Home. Mabel, Grunkle Stan, and his parents. The thought of them left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Homesickness rose and he fought back the urge to vomit. Not that being away from them physically repulsed him; he just missed them so much. He had no friends out here and was at the mercy of a psychopathic demon-God thing.

“You hungry? All I have are some apples.”

He jumped, not realizing someone was with him. Perched up on a rock, lantern swinging slightly in the breeze, sat Wirt. He narrowed his eyes at the slightly shorter boy, taking the apple that was tossed to him. “What do you want?” he snapped harshly. “Here to spy on me now?”

Wirt shook his head. “I was only doing what Lord Cipher asked me to do. It’s best just to do as he says sometimes. Like I said earlier, he can be a bit too much sometimes.”

“So you’re a pushover?” Dipper asked, tiny bits of sarcasm lacing his tone.

“No!” Wirt retorted, clearly offended. “I’m not a pushover!”

“Prove it.”

“I don’t have to do anything you tell me,” Wirt rolled his eyes, taking a bit out of his apple. “I’m older than you; therefore I’m in charge.”

His attitude reminded Dipper vaguely of Mabel. Stupid older siblings and their supposed “God given Authority.”

“Where’s Bill?” he asked the gnome looking boy. “Did he die or something?”

Wirt gave a half smile. “That would be good news for you, but unfortunately he’s off on business right now. The Beast is too. Said something about official God meeting or something of that sort.”

He blinked, moving wayward strands of brown hair from his face. “So, there really are more Gods in this forest?”

“Yes,” Wirt answered.

“How many?”

“Quite a few. Some more powerful than others.”

Wirt’s face was distant; unreadable. As if looking into some distant past no one else would remember. If this boy was truly over two hundred years old, he must know quite a lot. Dipper stood up, tossing the remains of his apple core away. “I’m bored,” he announced. “Let’s go explore.”

“What? Why would you want to do that?”

“I’ve wanted to explore the woods my whole life,” Dipper explained patiently, brushing grass off his worn out and somewhat dirty clothing. “And since you’re here, you can show me around and we won’t get lost. It’s better than sitting around and doing nothing.”

Wirt studied him for a moment, eyes contemplating on whether or not to agree. He seemed like a very careful, if not overly cautious, young man. Could he say young man since he was older than him by two hundred years? Oh well, who cares. “Fine,” Wirt agreed, narrowing his eyes. “But you do as I say. Got it?”

“Fine.”

He allowed Wirt to take the lead; his lantern almost hitting him several times as they marched through the vast thickness of The Unknown. For the most part, things were quiet. Dipper didn’t feel like a pair of eyes were following him. In fact, the only things that did bother him were the bugs that would fly in his face and the seemingly endless chirping of the crickets. “Why do the Gods live here?” he asked suddenly, catching Wirt off guard.

“I don’t know,” Wirt kept his eyes straight ahead, the lantern now glowing brightly as they entered a dark part of the thicket. “And I’m telling you the truth when I say that. The Beast doesn’t explain much about The Unknown. Other than it’s not from this world.”

“What do you mean by not from this world?”

“I can’t explain it very well,” the boy shook his head. “But a lot of the creatures here aren’t from this world. It’s like they come from somewhere else.”

The wind blew eerily and Wirt shivered. “Winter will be here in a few months; it’ll be brutal,” he noticed how fast Wirt changed the subject. “Hopefully the cabin is still intact; I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s not.”

“Cabin?”

“Where I stay when it gets too cold. Or rainy,” the boy corrected. “If Bill lets you, you can stay in it with me. I wouldn’t mind company.”

“Bill’s not my master,” he grumbled. “No matter what that deranged lunatic thinks.”

“Better not let him hear you say that,” Wirt advised. “He can be very temperamental. One time The Beast and he got in a fight and well, I never want to see either of them that angry again. They haven’t fought like that for over two hundred years now.”

“What were they fighting over?”

“Oh, well, me.”

“You?” he couldn’t stop the astonishment that rose up in his voice. “Why were they fighting over you?”

Wirt sighed dramatically. “That’s a story for another time. In short, we’ll say The Beast gets possessive and Bill doesn’t know when enough is enough.”

Well, if that didn’t send a chill down his spine, Dipper didn’t know what would. He removed more leaves from his hair, face turning red when he almost tripped over a tree stump. Wirt gave a tiny smirk, but it wasn’t out of spite. Besides being betrayed by the shorter boy, (was it yesterday? He didn’t know anymore), Wirt seemed like an okay guy. It was better than being around Bill.

“Why do mention The Beast so much? What is he?”

Wirt stopped walking and for a moment, Dipper thought that maybe he’d pushed and a prodded a little too far. However, that didn’t seem to be the case. Wirt lifted the lantern, revealing a sight that even Grunkle Stan would be terrified to see.

A tree, with a bark he’d never seen before, stood only a few feet away from where Dipper was standing now. Its face; no faces, were twisted and demented. He could easily read their expressions ranging from sadness to depression. All of them lost in their grief and despair. “What the?” he began, pausing to stare at them in horror. “Wirt, what are these?”

Wirt didn’t answer. He just took the axe attached to his belt and began to hack away at the tree. Dipper almost screamed in horror. “What are you doing?” he almost shouted. “Wirt, what is this? Why do these trees have faces?”

He grabbed the boy by the elbow, the axe almost slipping from his grasp. Wirt gave a sigh. “This is Edelwood; it’s what these trees are.”

“Tress don’t look like this,” Dipper snapped. “What are these?”

“The souls of the lost,” Wirt responded softly. “That is what the Edelwood is.”

“The lost souls? What?”

“People venture into The Unknown more often than you think; whether they’re from your kingdom or not. I don’t know how vast these woods stretch out,” Wirt sighed again. “They get lost; they give up hope of ever leaving and accept their demise. They turn into Edelwood trees and I chop them down to be used as oil for the lantern.”

Dipper was nearly struck speechless. “Why? Why do you need this lantern?”

“As I said to you earlier, everyone in life has a burden to bear. This lantern is my burden,” Wirt pulled away, the axe resuming its work. “It’s better than letting these people sit here and rot away.”

“But they’re people!”

Wirt just looked at the tree. “Not anymore.”

“And what do you do with the trees…” Dipper started to ask, but never finished his question. He took one look at the lantern and the trees and put the pieces together. “You’re using these people to keep the lantern lit!”

“You figured it out quickly,” Wirt commented, picking up the small pieces. “But yes, the trees are used to keep the lantern lit. As long as it stays lit, I stay alive.”

“Alive?”

“My life force is technically enough to keep the flame lit,” Wirt stared at the lantern distastefully. “A long time ago, The Beast bound me to the lantern; along with his life. The Edelwood just makes the flame stronger. I feel stronger and so does The Beast.”

“If you don’t give it Edelwood, will you die?”

“No,” Wirt shook his head. “If my life force wasn’t in it, then maybe. If I don’t put Edelwood in it every now and then, I’ll get weak. Like how you go a whole day without eating and you feel sluggish. That’s why I have bottles ready in case I need it.”

“These poor people” Dipper shook his head. “Bill won’t make me do this, will he?”

“Bill’s life isn’t attached to a lantern. The Beast is the only God that I know of that is bound to an object. Why that is, I don’t know. He doesn’t tell me a whole lot about himself.”

He couldn’t stop Wirt from chopping down the trees. He felt horrible that he couldn’t stop him, but what could he do? Wirt was infinitely older than him and knew the forest better than anyone so far. From what it looked like, the shorter boy didn’t take any pleasure out of doing this. More like he had accepted it a long time ago. In fact, he almost looked apathetic.

Wasn’t there a saying that went: “You can’t break the broken?”

He sat on the ground, watching almost numbly as Wirt worked the tree away. He would pause now and then to take a break, wiping the sweat from his brow and gather up the pieces. Occasionally Dipper would toss him pieces that had flown towards him, but other than that, he kept silent. The Unknown kept going on as it usually did; with random animals appearing here and there. At one point he swore he saw a fairy, but he couldn’t be sure.

He knew better than to chase after it, though.

“What’s your relationship with The Beast?”

Wirt paused, ears now turning red against his pale skin. “Ex…excuse me?” he stammered, obviously embarrassed.

Why would he be embarrassed? Oh wait... “Sorry,” Dipper amended, cheeks now pink. “I didn’t know you two were…involved with each other.”

Wirt’s face now rivaled a tomato. “Well that’s none of your business!” he sputtered and Dipper would admit he felt a little stupid for asking that.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I just don’t want Bill to start…instigating such a relationship.”

Wirt snorted. “It’ll happen whether you want it or not.”

He rolled his eyes, now more determined than ever to not let Bill use him as such. “Anyway,” he changed the subject, noting Wirt’s sigh of relief. “I do have one question to ask you.”

“What?”

Dipper paused briefly, gathering the words in his head to make sure he didn’t offend the boy. “What do you miss the most about your old life?”

Wirt blinked several times before a wry smile formed. “My brother, Greg. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about him or wish he was here.”

“I miss Mabel too,” he swallowed hard. “I miss hearing her voice; anything she had to say really.”

“Same with Greg.”

It was like they had reached some sort of agreement. Wirt seemed to relax more whenever his brother’s name was mentioned and Dipper couldn’t imagine being away from Mabel for over two hundred years. Granted being away from her now was hard enough, but for two centuries? Eternity? He didn’t think he could do that.

He leaned against the tree nearest to him; Wirt working away at the tree. The boy had chopped the tree down fairy quickly, scavenging the branches and marking a place mark down to get more from the tree later. Dipper helped him carry branches and they made their way across the forest again; still silent.

That was, until Dipper spoke again. “What’s The Beast look like?”

Wirt glanced at him. “For the most part, he keeps to the shadows. Most only see a shadowy looking man with glowing eyes and antlers. They’re actually Edelwood branches, but a lot of folks say antlers. He doesn’t like to show off his true form too much; he’s sensitive to the light.”

“Why?”

“Trust me; you don’t want to know.”

Well with the way he said it, Dipper didn’t want to know. “Does he have other forms? You know, like the one Bill has. A kind of human looking form.”

“Yes,” Wirt nodded, face now turning pink. “He doesn’t show that form to anyone but me. He reserves it for when we are alone; it takes a lot of energy to produce.”

When they were alone…oh. Oh…

“Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I really need to stop doing that.”

“Yeah,” Wirt gave a nervous laugh. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this anyway.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t find out.”

“Yeah. We can hope.”

The cabin was actually a simple looking home; resembling that of a tiny shack. Still, it was dry and cool inside with chimney that was closed off to keep the rain and night air out. In fact, it looked like a cozy little home in the winter. “You live here, right?”

Wirt shrugged. “For the most part, yes. Often times I’m outside or too far from the cabin.”

“Need help?”

“No,” Wirt dumped the wood he’d gathered into a box, grabbing the rest from Dipper. “This is my job, not yours.”

“How very noble of you, Lover Boy.”

A chill ran down his spine at the tone of voice. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and a chin rest on his head. “Thanks again, Lover Boy!” Bill told the shorter boy cheerfully, a grin too wide for most humans on his face. “Now we’ll be off! Ta-ta for now!”

“No!” Dipper protested, struggling in Bill’s grip. “Release me at once!”

“We’re going to have to work on this royal attitude of yours,” Bill clicked his tongue. “It’s becoming rather bothersome.”

“I don’t care!” he snapped, getting away from Bill as quickly as he could when the demon put him down on the spot where Dipper had woken up. “You kidnap me from my family, expect me to forget them, and then act like you’re my master and expect me to be obedient? Are you kidding me?”

_SMACK_

His head whipped to the side, stinging painfully. A pair of fingers digging into his flesh made the pain even worse as Bill turned his chin to face him. He had that weird smile on his face again, one that made him want to crawl under a rock, but he stood his ground. He glared defiantly up at the god.

Bill’s thumb traced his lip. “Keep talking like that and I might have to sew those pretty lips of yours up,” his face was too close; much too close. “And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

“Unhand me!” he snapped, which only made Bill tighten his grip.

“I don’t think I could get rid of your spunk completely, Pine tree. Things would get boring without it,” he laughed, resting his forehead against Dipper’s. “Hard to believe. All that power in one small human, heh.”

He would responded, but then a pair of lips crashed against his own, silencing whatever response was on his tongue.

* * *

  **(Bill)**

The meeting had been dull. At least, to him it was.

He had decided to stay in his human form, finding it to be a bit more comfortable at the moment. A few of the other gods did too, like a friend of his Tad Strange, but others had no intention of conforming. Some did only on occasion and others couldn’t at all. Or at the very least, for a small period of time.

Cernunnos was one of those or something like that anyways.

Some of the other gods had human pets of their own, but they would only last for a little while. Some of the nicer ones had kept their pets for centuries or let them go. Others, would eventually kill them, devour their souls, or eat them. Sometimes all three, depending on the god.

He sat in boredom on his throne of gold, ignoring a few of the glares he received from a couple creatures. Tad gave him a sigh and a somewhat of a sad look, but remained neutral. Cernunnos only gave him a cold stare before sitting down on his throne of Edelwood. By doing that, the meeting had started.

“Cipher has a done us a good service for once,” Cernunnos almost sneered. “He informs me that he has a way to return us home.”

A few whispers went out among the others; the promise of home so sweet it was bitter. Bill smirked, ignoring the confused gaze Tad sent him.

“What is the plan?” One Goddess, a large black spider with the head and chest of a woman, asked. “When has Cipher ever done us a good service? He’s the reason we’re here in the first place!”

A few shouts went out in support of her statement, but Bill paid them no mind. A few of the Gods near him sent uneasy looks, but remained silent otherwise. He gave a sneer towards the Goddess. “At least I have found a solution. What have you done other than whore yourself out to the little fleshies you come across, Arachne?”

The Spider Goddess hissed, showing her fangs off to him and sent a little flame towards her, almost setting her body on fire.

Cernunnos only sent him a hard stare. “Control yourselves or leave,” the God commanded. “I will only ask once, Cipher, Arachne.”

He wasn’t entirely sure on how old The Beast was, but he knew he was the oldest out of all of them. Bill not being too much younger, but it was an unspoken agreement that The Beast was the ruler of the congregation. Being the oldest and most powerful, of course.

“And who is this little fleshie?” Another God asked, a weaker and less known creature.

“The Prince of Gravity Falls,” he grinned, the whispering and murmurs growing louder. “He will return us home to the rest of our kin.”

“And what will you do with him afterwards?" Tad asked, arms crossed over his chest. “Kill him?”

“No,” Bill rolled his one eye. “I have no intention of killing him. I’m not _that_ cruel, Tad.”

Tad just snorted in reply.

“He’s mine,” Bill continued, gazing at the rest of the crowd. “And if any of you touch him, well,” his grin stretched even wider, face now resembling each of their worst fears. “You’ll be begging for death by the time I’m done with you.”

“And what of you,” another God spoke up towards The Beast. “What will you do with your fleshie? I’ll take him when you’re done with him!”

The God didn’t even have time to say anything else when vines and Edelwood roots surrounded him. They squeezed him until his body parts flew everywhere, the golden ichor that was their blood splattering everywhere.

There was one thing no one ever did around The Beast: bring up the mention of his fleshie toy. Obviously, the now deceased God forgot about that.

“Are there any other questions?” Cernunnos asked, vines and Edelwood raised threateningly.

No one spoke for the longest time. A few of the Gods and Goddesses shifted away; their humans following after. Bill easily spotted the woman in red; a Goddess whom no human had survived their encounter with, sat perched on a large boulder. Her sword lay next to her; clean for once and she gazed down at a small human boy.

Bill had never seen him before. Or maybe he had and had just forgotten. He was tiny, with green overalls and a silver teapot on his head. He laughed as he ran around, chasing after a frog, still chubby from baby fat. The Goddess observed him with expressionless eyes, hair like a curtain over her face.

When a God reached forward to grab him, she reacted. Her sword instantly sliced off his arm; leaving him howling with pain. It would take him a while to regenerate it; considering there was limited magic in this place. The boy looked at her with wide brown eyes, completely unaware of what just happened. “Oh potatoes and molasses,” he sang as he danced around her legs.

Bill was completely disgusted. When had the woman in red gone soft? It was unnatural; disgusting.

“Come along, Gregory,” she motioned, sword now in her hilt and her right hand grabbing his. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment please! I love hearing what you have to say! And before you ask, no, Wirt doesn't know his brother is in The Unknown!


	6. A strange predicament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper isn't at all what he seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for leaving comments kudos! Take all this cheesecake! *Passes out cake* Damn, I think you're going to get sick from all this food XD 
> 
> That aside, I'm so glad for your support! I hope you are reading Long way down, but if you aren't, that's cool! Writing Wirt is difficult too! I try to keep him to his personality in the show, but it's obvious at the end he did go through some character development. He stood up to The Beast, after all. Anyway, I had being sadistic to these boys! I wish I had maternal instinct, but I'm afraid I'm lacking one at this moment! Ahhh, the plans I have for this story!!! Plus the unfortunate soundtrack I'm listening to for this story. You know what it is? Phantom of the Opera. *hides in the corner from shame* Though it does kind of fit The Beast.

Dipper’s initial reaction was to try and beat the living shit out of Bill.

However, the God had him pulled flush against him, lips pressed firmly against his and tongue sweeping over his bottom lip languidly. Dipper let out a small grunt of protest, pushing his hands against Bill’s chest. With a hum of laughter, Bill pulled away, wiping his lips. “Wow Pine tree, you’re a horrible kisser,” Dipper flushed in anger and embarrassment. Bill laughed again. “Was that your first kiss?”

“So what?” he sputtered, face a bright red. “What the hell was that about?”

“Only giving my Pine tree the attention he deserves,” Bill wrapped an arm around him possessively. “I can’t believe that was your first kiss. Oh wait, yes I can.”

“Well excuse me if there aren’t that many people at the castle,” he grumbled, shoving Bill’s arm away. “What kind of freak goes around kissing random people?”

Bill just stared at him and Dipper felt a brick of fear drop in his stomach. Shit. “I’m sorry!” he protested as Bill moved closer. “I didn’t mean that you’re a freak!” Oh who was he kidding, of course he did!

The God moved forward, giving a smile that would make even a grown man cry in fear. “You’re hilarious, Pine tree. Of course, that sass might get you in trouble one day,” a black gloved hand trailed down his arm. “Not that I would mind giving punishment, of course.”

Dipper blanched. “That’s sick.”

“Sure it is. What’s your point?”

He rolled his eyes as Bill laughed light heartedly. “What are you planning to do with me? Eat me? Replace my eyes with baby heads?”

“Relax, kid,” Bill raised an eyebrow. “I’m not that messed up.”

Dipper just shot him a pointed look; completely unconvinced. Bill rolled his one eye. “Listen, Pine tree, there’s a lot in store for this place; a lot in store for you. I like you, so I’m not going to lie to you. At least, not too much.”

“I still don’t trust you!”

Bill just shrugged. “If you want to survive and if you want my protection, you better start trusting me. I’m the only one in this forest whom you can trust,” Bill traced his hand down his face and he tried to ignore the tingling sensation it brought.

“I can trust Wirt; he’s in the same position as me!”

Bill raised an eyebrow. “You think you can trust that meek, docile little pet of Cernunnos’? He’ll betray you in a heartbeat for his master. There is no one you can trust but me in this forest, Dipper,” he shivered at how Bill said his name. “You better start acknowledging that or you will get killed.”

He pulled away from the chaotic God, glaring at him fiercely. “I’ll never bow to you.”

“You will, one day,” Bill shrugged. “We’ve got all the time in the world, Pine tree. I’m in no rush. Well, we’re kind of in a rush, but you will learn to respect me. Even love me eventually.”

“Never!”

“Never say never, Prince,” Bill ruffled his hair. “Your Great Uncle said that to me and look how that turned out.”

“You knew Great-Uncle Ford?” he found himself asking, completely forgetting the argument that they were having. “You’re the reason my Uncle’s gone?”

“Well, it was more his fault really,” Did Bill sound sour or was he going crazy. “It’s not my fault he got too full of himself and thought he could take me on.”

“You’re the reason my Grunkle Stan blames himself!” he snapped, pointing a finger accusingly at the snappily dressed man in front of him. “You’re the reason he disappeared!”

“Kid, your Grunkle left the kingdom for his own selfish reason; you’re all alike in that aspect,” Bill shook his head. “Don’t deny it; The Unknown has always interested you. If you were given the opportunity to explore it, would you? Would you leave Shooting Star to spend time in the woods?”

“Of course not!” Dipper practically shouted. “I would never leave my sister to go trailing around in the woods for the rest of my life.”

“I bet she would,” Bill looked smug; almost like he knew Mabel. “Face it, Pine tree, your sister can be pretty selfish. How many times have you sacrificed your own happiness for her in the past? All those sleepovers with her friends and they harassed you, going along with pretty much every whim of hers or every crush of the week.”

He faltered a bit. How could Bill possibly know about that? “Have you been spying on me?” he asked, a bit of an edge to his voice.

“Not spying, per say,” Bill started. “More like watching you from a distance for a majority of your life.”

“Creep!” he snapped, backing up even further away from Bill. “Get…get away from me! Leave me alone! Let me go home!”

“Dipper,” he was really starting to hate when Bill used his real name. Right now, the God was grinning madly. “You are home.”

“No, I’m not!” he denied it; there was no way this God could be right. What was he the God of anyway? “You’re insane! Crazy!”

“Well of course I am,” Bill chuckled. “I’m the God of crazy, Pine tree. Well, maybe not crazy per say, but pretty close to it.”

He ran away, surprised that Bill didn’t even try and stop him. He tore past the trees and bushes, aware of the eyes of The Unknown. He always felt like he was being watched, whether by Bill or the glowing eyes in the darkness. He didn’t understand any of this. Didn’t understand why he was here, or why Bill seemed to think he had some claim over him.

“Damnit!” he cried out, tripping over a tree root that suddenly appeared in front of him. “Where the hell did that come from?”

Naturally, the forest did not respond to him.

He ignored the angry tears that leaked out of his eyes. Wiping them away, he stood up and adjusted his clothes. He was dressed way too fancily for a place like this; a once clean white shirt and tailored black pants didn’t exactly work in his favor for surviving in the woods. Mabel was going to be pissed if she saw the state of his clothes.

Mable. Everyone back home.

He swallowed back the tightness that formed in his throat. He would have to think of his own way home; no one in the forest was trustworthy. Not even Wirt, for who knew what The Beast actually was and what kind of God he was. The more he thought about it, even Bill sounded like The Beast actually scared him a little. He didn’t want to find out why.

He should have looked as to where he was going; he truly should have. The second he turned around, he stumbled face first into sticky thread. He tried to pull away, but whatever kind of substance it was, it wasn’t letting him go. The more he fought, the more stuck he became. A part of him wanted to bemoan the fact that he was in a spider web, but what was the point really?”

“Oh, how wonderful for me, a little snack!”

He noticed dozens of spider webs covered the trees. Cocoons of past…victims were everywhere. A few of them moved, a few groans of pains coming from them. A shadowy creature moved towards him, black eyes as dark as midnight looking at him. Long, elegant black hair held up in a bun and her lips were black as well. “What have we got here,” she purred, trailing a long, pale finger down his chest. “A little snack. And a cute one at that.”

“Let me go!” he struggled.

“Don’t think so, pretty boy,” she laughed. “I wonder though, what a handsome boy like you is doing in a place like this. Must be my lucky day.”

“You ugly witch!” he spat. “You release me at once!”

“Witch? Ugly? How dare you!” she narrowed her empty black eyes at him. “I am a Goddess, you pathetic human meat bag!”

A spider Goddess? Well, that was new. “What are you going to do? Drain me to death?” he snarled, mocking her ever so slightly. “Isn’t that all your dumb spiders are good for?”

“I am Arachne, the Goddess of Pride, and you will treat me with respect!” she hissed, her spider like body more frightening up close. It made sense, he supposed. He knew a story where there had been a beautiful Goddess who was so vain that she was turned into a spider by another God.

“Respect is earned, not given!” he growled. “Now let me go! Bill won’t like it if you kill me!”

Wait where did that come from? Was he really relying on Bill to save him? His forehead pulsed hotly, an urge to cry out threatening to tear past his lips. His birthmark had never hurt this badly before. As a child, it would tingle a little before he did something dangerous or stupid. But now that he was in actual danger, why was it hurting? Was it Bill? Was Bill doing this?

“What a strange little mark,” her pale hand pushed back his bangs, cool fingertips tracing over his birthmark. “It’s glowing blue. How odd.”

Wait, it was glowing? It had never glowed before! “Don’t touch me!” he attempted to release his legs from the web, but it was useless. He was trapped. He was going to die here and he’d never see Mabel or his family again.

“Well Pine tree, you’ve got yourself in quite the situation here. Need some help?”

Speak of the devil and he would appear. Bill seemed to materialize out of nowhere, power radiating off him like the heat from a flame. Arachne bared her teeth at him. “Cipher!” she growled, low and threatening. “You dare come into my territory?”

“You dare to steal my Pine tree?” he sneered back, eye glowing a cobalt blue. “I don’t like it when others touch what belongs to me.”

“He’s mine! He fell into my trap!”

“Is that so,” Bill didn’t look convinced. “Pine tree, is that true?”

“Bill!” Dipper growled. “Get me out of this!”

“I don’t know, Pine tree,” the God was enjoying this way too much. He could tell by the smirk on his face. “With the way you’ve been treating me lately, I don’t know if I should.”

“Please!” Good Lord, this was pathetic. Begging to the God who’d kidnapped him. “Bill, I need your help! I’m sorry! I’ll be respectful or anything you want! Just get me out of here!”

Bill grinned madly. “Well, since you asked so nicely,” the webs instantly caught on fire; the Spider Goddess screaming as flames surrounded her. Dipper fell none too gently on the ground, glaring resentfully up at Bill.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, face now red with embarrassment.

“Now is that anyway for a Prince to thank his savior?” Bill snickered. “A simple thank you ain’t gonna cut it, kid.”

Dipper slushed harder. “What do you want then?”

“I think you know,” Bill smirked.

Dipper groaned, face now heated. He marched over to Bill, face downcast as his lips met the God’s. Damnit, now the God was going to think he was in love with him. Shit, this day was not going well for him. Bill hummed in pleasure, pulling his body more against his. The God’s hands were sliding all around him, trailing dangerously close to his butt.

He felt the mark on his forehead burn hotter.

When Bill tried to cop a feel, however, the mark pulsed so hard it made him gasp in shock. A wave of energy crashed through him, pulsating off his body like a tidal wave. It threw Bill into the closest tree, the God laughing at the impact. “Woah Pine tree, calm down!” the God stood up, adjusting his hat and perfectly styled golden hair. “Damn, I knew you had power, but not that much power.”

Dipper glared at him. “I never said you could touch me!”

“You belong to me, so technically I can,” Bill walked over to him, scooping him up into his arms as if Dipper were some new bride. “Now let’s go home, Pine tree. I bet you’re all tired out.”

“No,” he protested, but in truth, he felt exhausted. Whatever that was, it had drained him. If he was the result of a demonic deal, what did that mean? “Bill, put me down.”

“Hm, and have you fall over? I don’t think so.”

He never even recalled returning to Bill’s little spot in the forest. He just fell asleep in the God’s incredibly comfy and warm arms.

He was so screwed. He could only hope Mabel was doing okay.

* * *

 

 _For the millennia he’d been alive, Bill had never once encountered_ _The Moirai._

_The three immortal sisters were older than Cernunnos and did not come from the same place they did. They’d been around since the beginning of life, and their power was widely respected and known. In a dark cave deep within The Unknown, very few had ever sought them out. No one ever wanted to see them. They were The Goddesses of life and death and if anything disturbed him the most, it was them._

_“Bill Cipher,” the first sister, Clotho, spoke as she sat by her loom spinning thread almost lazily. “What can we do for you?”_

_“You know what he wants,” Lachesis, the second sister, measuring thread with her measuring rod, barked a laugh. “We all know what he wants.”_

_“Creepy as ever, ladies,” Bill rolled his eyes. “I want you to answer my problem.”_

_“We are not responsible for your mistake,” Clotho mused, her teal eyes shining in amusement as she handed her sister more thread. “You must fix it yourself.”_

_“Why, did you expect us to fix it?” Lachesis turned to him with ice colored blue eyes. “We can only do so much, Cipher. The other world is hardly our concern.”_

_“We were not born there, after all.”_

_“Quite right, sister.”_

_He half wanted to throttle them, but he didn’t. Their identical black hair seemed to blend into the darkness; their skin so pale it looked almost sickly. Many who had survived their encounter had called them beautiful and while that was true, it didn’t mask how cold and dead they were inside. The only emotions they felt were amusement._

_“Tell me my future,” he demanded rather than asking politely. He was tired of being here in their presence. “Is there a way to fix what I’ve done?”_

_“Perhaps,” Clotho tapped her finger against her chin. “But, should we help you?”_

_“Perhaps not,” Lachesis sneered. “We did not cause it.”_

_“Sisters!” the third sister spoke up, scissors pointing dangerously at them. Her eyes, a dark and mysterious blue, glared at them. Out of the three of them, he truly disliked Aisa the most. She was truly the Goddess of Death, after all. “Quit idling around and come here.”_

_She set the scissors down, the other two dropping their items as well. They joined hands, eyes glowing brightly in the darkened room. Bill knew they were looking into the future and for a second, he thought that maybe he made another mistake._

_“The mistake will be fixed,” Clotho spoke, in a raspy voice. “But it will come at a cost.”_

_“Pandora’s bane will rise and a choice must be made,” Lachesis continued in the same tone. “And another God will be born.”_

_“A boy will come to you,” Aisa rasped. “Pandora’s bane will come. He is your destiny, Cipher. Polaris star will be his sign.”_

_They broke hands, the light instantly vanishing from their eyes. They returned to their stations, gazing at him like owls. How creepy. “That’s it?” he asked, eyebrow raised. “I’m supposed to wait for a sign? How will I know?”_

_“You will create the sign when the vision comes to you,” Aisa murmured, Lachesis holding the thread out. “And then, you will find your answer to fix the mess you made.”_

_With an empty sound, she cut the string. That was the first time he’d ever felt the ichor in his veins run cold._

* * *

 

“Mabel! Mabel, where do you think you’re going?”

Adorned in chainmail and her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, Mabel glared at the voice. “To find Dipper,” she growled, determination in her voice. “I’m going to find my brother, Grunkle Stan!”

“Not on your own, you’re not!” Grunkle Stan shook his head. “Look kid, I’m not going to stop you. I know how much a sibling means,” his eyes were faraway, as if remembering a different time and place. “But I can’t let you go out there alone. It’s not safe.”

Mabel frowned. “Dipper’s all I have left now in this world,” she turned to face the exit of the castle. “Dad and Mom have lost the will to live, Grunkle Stan. They blame themselves for what happened and,” she gripped her hold on her sword. “I want to blame them, but what would I have done? I can’t judge them too harshly.”

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Grunkle Stan grimaced. “Your parents aren’t going to be happy about this.”

“They can’t stop me,” she shook her head. “Mom’s practically in a coma and Dad can’t even leave his room. They’re broken, Grunkle Stan.”

“I know, kid.”

She adjusted the grappling hook to her belt. “As Queen of Gravity Falls, I’m going to find my brother.”

Grunkle Stan offered a small smirk. “The woods is hardly fitting for a Queen.”

She smirked back. “That’s why I’m not going alone, Grunkle Stan. If there’s anything I learned from Dipper’s boring old journals, is that you can’t trust anyone in The Unknown. I’m not leaving there till I have my brother. Are you with me or not?”

“I’d do the same for my brother, Mabel. I wish I had known that years ago.”

“It’s not too late to change that,” she gave him a hug. “Let’s go find Dipper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what to do!


	7. Party till you drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill takes Dipper to a party and Dipper sees something he shouldn't have seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just got done with Thanksgiving break! Now it's time for finals and projects and all that good stuff. Have some pie! *Hands out pie to everyone* Hope you enjoy this chapter! I listen to the worst songs when writing XD they fit the mood and then I have to go searching for more songs. Welcome to my life, people.

Bill was surprisingly quiet the next few nights.

Not that Dipper was complaining too much; he rather liked the somewhat peaceful silence between them. He knew for certain that he didn’t like the impassive face the God had on. It was almost like he was thinking about something; thinking too hard. A part of him wanted to ask what was bothering him, but the other part of him told him to mind his own business. Whatever Bill was thinking about, he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to know.

Weather in the unknown tended to be unpredictable. One day it could be snowing and the next day, be over a hundred degrees. Bill had mumbled something about Weather Gods being a tad bit unpredictable, but Dipper couldn’t be sure. He was convinced that science was the reason that weather happened, not Gods.

“Oh sure, there’s science,” Bill had commented when he asked. “But can your so-called science explain how we Gods came to be?”

When Dipper didn’t respond, he laughed. “Didn’t think so, Pine tree.”

And that was it. For the next few days, Bill hadn’t really said anything. He would just sit and watch as Dipper tried not to fidget uncomfortably. What was going on in the blonde’s head? He just couldn’t figure out what the God was thinking about. He felt his cheeks flush a little; his patience beginning to fade pretty quickly. “What are you looking at?” he snapped.

Bill smiled a little too widely. “Just looking at you,” he leaned over to poke Dipper on the forehead. “I’ve never had my own pet before.”

Dipper scowled. “I’m not a pet!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re “a prince,”’ Bill laughed, a tiny smirk on his face. “My Prince.”

“I’m not yours!”

“Oh Pine tree, you’re so funny,” Bill wrapped an arm around him, pulling his body firmly against his. Gloved fingers pushed his bangs back; threading through his brown locks. He felt the fingertips poke at his birthmark, which tingled a little in response. “To think, after waiting a thousand years, I would finally find you.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow. “Find me? What are you talking about, Bill?”

Bill just went silent again, arm still wrapped around his body. It gave Dipper the chance to study him again, watching as the God’s face went distant again. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much; it really shouldn’t have, but it did. It reminded him of Mabel some days when she was feeling down. Most of the time she was very expressive with her feelings and then there were the few times she would shut everyone out.

“Bill?” he started again, trying to pry himself away from the God’s arms. “Bill, where do you Gods come from?”

Bill just ruffled his hair. “Don’t you already know, Pine tree? Figured that Wirt boy would have already told you by now.”

“Ugh!” he scowled again, rearranging his hair. “No Bill, I mean _where_ do you Gods come from?”

Bill tilted his head. “Are you asking me how I was made?”

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Yes, that’s what I meant.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Bill let out a chuckle, ruffling Dipper’s hair again. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Do you even know?”

He allowed himself that small victory, watching the look of surprise cross Bill’s face. It vanished as soon as it appeared and Bill leaned forward, his face now very close to Dipper’s. “Just what are you implying, Pine tree?” he asked, voice dropping lowly. “Are you saying I know nothing of my kind? That you, for some reason, know better?”

He felt himself being pushed back against the ground, Bill looming over him menacingly. His face turned red; stomach twisting with fear. “N…no,” he stammered, trying to gather his wits. “It was just a question, Bill! No need to get worked up about it! Now let me up!”

To his surprise, Bill did. Leaning back, Bill observed him with an amused expression. “Still so demanding. I doubt that’ll change anytime soon.”

Dipper just shot him a look, still wary of the almost fond smile the God had on his face. “You could still let me go home,” he offered quietly. “I’ve never been away from Mabel for this long.”

Bill cocked his head. “You always mention her name first and then the rest of your parents. Isn’t she just your dumb sibling,” the God laughed, but he swore it sounded almost…bitter? “Listen Pine tree, it’s better that you forget about them.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” Dipper spat, glaring hotly at him. “You’re a God; you understand nothing of human relationships.”

“I understand more than you would think,” Bill started airily, face now distant again. He didn’t look mad or anything; just lost to another world. “After all, we Gods may not have what you humans consider blood, but the Ichor running through our veins keeps us tied together.”

“Mabel is my best friend,” Dipper said after a moment of silence. “Our parents…I love them, but there were days I didn’t see them. Sometimes weeks. Mabel was all I had. If I hadn’t of had Mabel, then I don’t know how I would have turned out.”

“Tough luck, kid,” Bill snorted. “That’s human beings for you. Selfish and only interacting when they feel they need to.”

“Hey, my parents aren’t selfish!”

“Aren’t they?” Bill questioned, that inane smile still on his face. “Your parents made a deal with me to have kids. Is that not selfish? They could have put their whole kingdom at risk for their desires. And how many times have you sacrificed your own wants for your sisters? Face it. Selfishness runs in your family; it spreads like fire and it will consume everyone in sight.”

“Can’t that be said for every human, then?” Dipper argued. “We’re all selfish; some more than others, but that doesn’t make us bad. It makes us-“

“Human,” Bill interrupted, spitting out the word as if it were a foul taste. “I know exactly what you are, Pine tree. I know what humans are. They lie, cheat, and steal from everyone and everything.”

The look on Bill’s face made him shiver. Not that Bill wasn’t frightening enough, but the look of absolute hatred unnerved him. “Bill?” he spoke up, wetting his lips that were now dry because of the cold wind that blew. “Did someone…wrong you in the past?”

When Bill turned around, he looked absolutely pleasant. Well, pleasant in a sense that he had a crazy smile. “Well, enough of that!” he pulled Dipper up, spinning him in his arms. “We’re going to a party tonight, Pine tree!”

“Wait, what?”

“A party, kid!” Bill booped him on the nose. “Surely my prince knows what a party is?”

“Of course I know!” he snapped, wrestling himself from the God. “But why are we going to one?”

“To show you off!” Bill was now dragging him away, not at all caring that Dipper was protesting and fighting against his hold. “Everyone’s been dying to meet you. Gods and their pets alike.”

“Pets?”

“Some Gods have their own companions,” Bill commented. “Some will be turned immortal, if they’re lucky. Others are eaten or tortured to death; depending on the God.”

Dipper just gulped and Bill laughed.

Bill eventually managed on getting them there; Dipper eventually giving up seeing on how it was a losing battle. The God eventually brought them to a clearing, the outskirts adorned by lights and what looked to be thrones of different designs. Bill sat down in a throne of gold bricks, pulling a now red faced Dipper onto his lap. “Bill!” he hissed. “This is embarrassing!”

“For you,” Bill snickered. “Would you rather me hand you over to the others?”

He noticed a few other Gods of different shapes and designs grin at him carnivorously and he shivered. He did notice the god sitting across from them, in a simple wooden throne, stare at Bill disapprovingly. He ate a simple looking piece of bread, shaking his dark head almost sadly. “Who’s that? Dipper asked quietly.

“Tad Strange,” Bill rested a hand on his chin in a bored fashion. “He’s the God of Morality. You know, it’s his job to keep you little humans “in line”, or so to say.”

“And you don’t like him?”

Bill gave a thin smile. “We don’t always see eye to eye.”

“Oh.”

He turned his attention back to the party. Hundreds of creatures were dancing in the middle. He could see a few gnomes and what looked to be fairies, but the rest he knew were Gods. Minor Gods or Major Gods, he did not know. They just danced without a care in the world.

“Oh look, Arachne’s glaring at us,” Bill chuckled, pulling him further into his chest. “She’s a Major Goddess, you know.”

“I figured,” Dipper replied. “Pride, right?”

“Yup,” Bill nodded. “One of the seven deadliest sins. Of course, to you humans.”

He let his jaw drop a little, eyes widening as the Spider like Goddess hissed at them. She was surrounded by six others, each of them looking amused. “The other seven sins are here?” he asked, though he wasn’t sure on who he was talking to.

“Gods, technically. They don’t like being called sins,” Bill ran a hand through his hair. “The Goddesses of Pride, Lust, and Sloth. And the Gods of Greed, Wrath, Envy, and Gluttony. They’re first generation Gods, like myself.”

He wanted to ask what that meant, but he never got the chance. Wirt appeared in front of him, giving a slight bow. “Lord Cipher, Dipper,” he greeted politely. “Lord Cernunnos would like to meet Prince Dipper, if, uh, that’s alright with you?” he finished weakly.

“Go ahead,” Bill scooted Dipper off his lap. “Have fun, Pine tree. Don’t get into too much trouble!”

He flushed when Bill gave him a little pat on his butt and saw Wirt give a slight smile. He followed the slightly shorter immortal boy, the lantern not at all out of place in the setting. They weaved through the crowed, bumping into a few Gods and other creatures, but Wirt seemed to maneuver around them gracefully; as if he’d done this before.

The throne of The Beast, or whatever it was Wirt had called it, was made of Edelwood. It made Dipper’s stomach twist violently at the sight of it. He thought the God would be more big and imposing, muscular even, but no. The Beast was a shadow with branches on the head and glowing eyes that hurt to look at. He felt afraid right then and there, but he did not know why. Just looking at him reminded him of all the things he was afraid of and he was paralyzed; unable to move. “Relax, boy,” The Beast commanded in a low voice. “Trembling does not suit you.”

“Uh, hi,” he greeted awkwardly. How was he supposed to talk to this God? “I’m Dipper.”

“I know,” The Beast stared at him in…amusement? “Wirt has spoken of you before.”

Wirt flushed pink, but Dipper’s focus was mainly on the God in front of him. “Bill’s spoken of you before,” he started boldly.

“Has he?” The Beast murmured. “Well, that just makes things more interesting.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, sharing Wirt’s curious expression. “What is Bill planning? What does he want with me? Do you know something? Tell me!”

The Beast laughed dryly. “So demanding. But I would expect nothing less from a prince. He almost reminds me of our early years, Wirt,” a shadowy hand caressed Wirt’s cheek. Dipper didn’t know what he found to be more disturbing. The fact that The Beast was touching his new friend or that Wirt was leaning into the touch. “Well, you may run off now. I’ve seen all I need to know.”

Wirt took him by the hand before he could protest. “Let’s go get some food,” the boy murmured in his ear. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

He didn’t know if the party food Wirt handed him was safe to eat or not, but he took it anyway. He was tempted to go find Bill, but then he saw him talking to a woman with long trailing fiery red hair. She was donned in an organdy and satin dress, a very revealing slit in the material to reveal her thighs. She gave him a look, a smile that stated she knew something he didn’t.

“That’s Lust,” Wirt spoke in a quiet tone. “She can be dangerous, so I would avoid her at all cost.”

“You ever spoken to her?”

Wirt shook his head. “No,” he sighed. “There are very few Gods I’ve actually directly spoken to. There are many here who like to use the phrase: “It is better for humans to be seen and not heard.”’

“Oh,” Dipper frowned. “But you’ve spoken to Bill.”

“Bill does what he wants,” Wirt shrugged. “He is chaos; insanity. He follows his own set of rules. If he has any, that is.”

They sat on a little bench that was a log. Eating in silence for a while, they made little small talk until Dipper spoke again. “Who is the woman with the sword?”

Wirt shrugged. “I don’t really know; The Beast never lets me see her. Don’t know why, but I think it’s because he doesn’t like her.”

“Does she really go around killing people?”

Wirt shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t really know. I know she’s a second generation Goddess, but that’s it.”

Dipper picked at the strange food. “Second generation. Bill said that before. What does it mean?”

“They’re the offspring of the original Gods that were here. The first generation, if I’m correct, consist of human flaws and traits. The second generation as aspects and ideals, more or less.”

“That’s…confusing,” Dipper shook his head. “But I suppose that makes sense.”

Wirt stood up, setting his plate down. “I’ll be right back. If any fairy asks you to dance with them, don’t. You’ll dance till you die. Literally.”

With a flash of his cape, Wirt was gone. Dipper sat alone on the log, appetite gone. Bill was still talking with the other Gods, laughing a few times at whatever they were talking about. He didn’t even notice the woman siting nest to him until she spoke.

“I heard you talking about me earlier.”

He jumped, almost falling off the log. “You’re the Woman with the Sword?” he asked, now wondering why the universe was out to get him. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t gossiping, I swear!”

She gave him an impassive look. “I know you weren’t,” she stated. “And you don’t need to be afraid of me, Dipper.”

She moved a strand of blonde hair from her face. He paused, not sure whether to believe her or not, but tried to relax anyway. “Who are you?” he asked. “You’re not going to kill me?”

She blinked. “Are you asking me to?”

“No!”

Her face still remained the same. “My name is Astarte, but I don’t go by that name anymore. You may call me Annie.”

“Annie?” he asked, now completely confused. “But that’s a human name!”

“And so is Bill’s and Tad’s,” the Goddess countered. “Those were names they chose for themselves. Someone I hold very dearly to me gave me that name.”

“Oh,” was all he managed to say. “And what is it you do exactly?”

She gazed at the fire in the middle of the dancing ground. “The humans would consider me the Goddess of selflessness. Sacrifice is another word they tend to use. I favor those who are willing to make sacrifices for the sake of another,” she turned her gaze to him. “I can see it strongly in you, Prince Dipper. You would do anything for your sister; for your family.”

“Family’s all we have left in the end,” he found himself saying.

“Couldn’t agree more,” she murmured. “Do not think of me as evil; I know Bill has put me in your nightmares as a child. His power of the human mind is extraordinary. He’s one of the most gifted Gods I know. I will not hurt you, Dipper.”

“Okay, good to know,” he rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing her sword carefully. “So, who do you hunt, then?”

 “The corrupt,” she started. “Those unwilling to make a sacrifice. Essentially those who are too selfish. I find too many of those kind nowadays. But my human companion, he reminds me every day that there are good humans in this world still.”

“Who’s your companion?”

She glanced cautiously at The Beast’s throne. He wasn’t’ there anymore, but Dipper had the feeling he wasn’t far. “A young boy who should not be in The Unknown. That’s all I will say.”

“Okay,” he was tempted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t. “So, why are you talking to me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I am on your side,” she said plainly. “The others have forgotten what it means to be human aspects and personalities. We are a part of the humans whether we like it or not. I do not wish to harm humans. Only the ones that deserve punishment. What I am trying to say is, you have a friend in me.”

Well, he wouldn’t deny it, that made him feel a bit better. “Thanks,” he smiled to her. “At least I know a few now who don’t wish ill of me. Hey, changing the subject, do you know what The Beast is?”

She looked towards the empty throne. “When you met him, what did you feel?”

“I felt scared,” he admitted. “He reminded me of all the things that scare me.”

“He’s fear,” her voice lowered down so that no one else could hear them. “The oldest of the first generation Gods to emerge from wherever they came from. He’s an emotion that will never die out. It can be overcome, but fear will always exist.”

He stood up, now very uncomfortable. “So that’s why he’s the strongest,” he muttered. “Bill, from what I’ve heard, comes pretty close.”

“Naturally,” she stated dryly. “Insanity of the mind and fear go hand in hand. But they are not a compatible duo.”

“Huh?”

“Most Gods here have a counterpart,” she pointed towards Lust. “The counterpart of Lust is Love. Like the theory of Yin and Yang. One cannot exist without the other.”

“And they hate each other?” he asked.

“No, not all of them do. Love and Lust certainly don’t hate each other,” she indicated towards the woman who walked towards Lust, taking her hand. “One is more spiritual and the other physical, but that is not always a bad thing. It’s how you interpret it. You cannot have one without the other.”

“What about Bill?” he asked, flushing as the God was staring at him now. “If he’s insanity, who is sanity?”

She glanced at Bill quickly before averting her eyes to the fire before them. “That, I believe, is a story for another time,” she sighed. “A story he should tell you. If he ever gets around to it.”

He gave Bill a look, noticing him talking with Tad Strange. They seemed to be in an argument, but about what he didn’t know. Or care too much, he would admit. He set the rest of his food aside, standing up. “Wirt’s been gone for a while; I’m going to look for him.”

“Good luck,” Annie stated, raising her cup. “There’s a lot of folks here. And gnomes.”

He headed off, making sure to keep his composure cool and collected. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself. He tried to keep a look out for a tall boy wearing a gnome hat or a shadowy God, but it was proving to be rather difficult. The many gnomes dancing around his legs certainly weren’t making things better.

“Damn,” he grumbled. “Where did he even say he was going? Did he even say where he was going?”

Then he heard it. Voices. An angry sounding voice that sounded surprisingly like Wirt’s. He ducked, crawling a little through a bush to get a good view of what was going on. He could see Wirt glaring at the shadowy Beast, lantern now resting on a stump. 

“Can’t you convince Cipher to let him go?” if Dipper didn’t know any better, Wirt sounded desperate. “He doesn’t belong here; he didn’t come by choice.”

“It’s not my concern,” The Beast sounded bored. “He is Bill’s human, not mine. I’m not interfering.”

“Why not?”

The Beast tilted his head. “Why do you care so much? Don’t tell me you have romantic feelings for this boy?”

“Of course not!” Wirt snapped. “I just…he doesn’t deserve this. No one deserves to be kidnapped from their family and then forced to be someone’s pet. What’s Cipher planning anyway?”

“None of your concern,” The Beast seemed to snap back. “Is it because you sympathize with this boy? You pity him because he reminds you of how you were when you first came here?”

“Who knows,” Wirt muttered. “But it isn’t right. If Cipher won’t return Dipper, I’ll do it myself.”

The Beast moved forward, gripping Wirt’s face with claw-like hands. “You will do no such thing,” The Beast snarled. “If I have to, I will make sure you never speak with him again.”

“I’ll still find a way,” Wirt grumbled. “I could blow out the lantern!”

The clawed hands reached down to grip his neck. Wirt let out a little cry of surprise, but The Beast was not pressing down hard enough to choke him yet. “Need I remind you that you would die as well? It’s been over two hundred years; are you really going to kill yourself? There is nothing left for you to go back to. No one at that little home waiting for you.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“You only have me,” The Beast murmured, removing his hands from Wirt’s throat and letting them cup his face; one hand trailing up through his hair to remove the hat.

“And you only have me,” Wirt sighed, wrapping his arms around the God’s surprisingly not transparent neck. “You’re the only one I have left now.”

“So smart,” The Beast seemed to laugh. “There’s nothing out there left for you, Lover boy. You’re literally the man out of time.”

Wirt leaned forward, pressing his lips against a mouth that wasn’t there. Dipper didn’t know whether to be shocked or disgusted, but he couldn’t look away. What the hell was this? First they were arguing and now being so…affectionate with one another was something that puzzled him. Would this happen to him and Bill? He certainly hoped not.

He should have left the two of them alone; he didn’t really need to see the rest, but he was paralyzed by the scene before him. The Beast had a human form, but only one person ever got to see it: Wirt. Now here he was, an outsider, possibly being the second person to ever see The Beast’s human form.

He morphed into it slowly; the shadows taking on a more physical and solid form. The branches seemed to evaporate; disappearing into nothingness. He couldn’t tell the age of the form, only that appeared to be in the mid-to late-twenties. He was tall, certainly taller than Bill who in human form, was of considerable height. The Beast had sandy dark blonde hair and he was pale. As pale of death. How fitting.

The eyes were about the same and if he were a village, they would probably consider it a very pale grey. Almost colorless. He returned the kiss, practically forcing Wirt’s mouth open by pulling on his hair and kissing him even harder.

Dipper knew he should leave, but damnit, he was curious. It was sick; wrong to be watching but he couldn’t look away. Even as The Beast lay Wirt out on the forest floor, removing his clothes while the boy mewled and writhed beneath him. The Beast wrapped Wirt’s legs around his hips, attacking his neck fiercely while he penetrated his companion? Pet? Lover?

The sounds of skin slapping skin brought Dipper back to reality. He could hear Wirt’s voice as he clung on to The Beast’s shoulders and the grunts the God would make. This was wrong in so many ways. Dipper personally didn’t care if two men wanted to be in a relationship, but could this be considered a relationship or the result of Stockholm syndrome?

He pulled his eyes away from the scene, face now very red and shame coursing through him. The best thing to do was to go back to the party and find Bill. And hopefully, get that scene out of his head.

“Where have you been, Pine tree?” Bill asked the second he returned to the party. “Not trying to ditch the party, I hope.”

“No!” he protested, face now pink as Bill pulled him flush against him. “How long are we going to be here?”

“As long as I want,” Bill smiled, brushing his lips against Dipper’s. “It’s literally party till you drop, Pine tree. Now come on, dance with me.”

Dipper scowled. “The last time I danced with you, you kidnapped me.”

“Well I can’t kidnap you right now; I already have you,” Bill smirked. “I’ll lead if you want me to, but you are dancing with me.”

He didn’t really have much choice in the matter. In the end, he found himself being spun around in circles as Bill lead in in the dance. Whether or not it fit the music, he didn’t know, but figured Bill probably didn’t care.

All he really wanted to do, was lie down and try to forget the night had ever happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That creepy dark fluff though. Astarte is a goddess, but she is not associated with what Annie's aspect is. I just liked the names. More will be revealed next time, so please comment and kudo!


	8. When the rain falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Stan come across a God who could be either friend or foe. Meanwhile, Dipper learns even more mysteries surrounding Bill Cipher and his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I had this one typed out already and was pretty satisfied with where it was. A majority of it was Mabel and Stan, but I threw in some more mystery regarding Bill too. Writing Tad is pretty damn hard, let me tell you that. Oh, and on that note, let me give you comfort food! *Throws out chocolate cake* Because who doesn't love chocolate?

**(Mabel and Stan)**

“Mabel, do you even know where the hell we’re going?”

“Grunkle Stan, don’t use such language! You’ll ruin Waddles’ innocence!”

“Mabel, he’s a pig. He rolls around in his own filth. You can hardly call him innocent.”

Mabel ignored the look her Grunkle cast to her beloved pig, continuing their way past the dark brush and trees of The Unknown. The forest, from the little information she knew, was endless. Some of the trees were standing so close to one another and stood so tall that hardly any sunlight was able to enter. The grass, somehow a vibrant shade of green, crunched lightly underneath their shoes. As they trailed through the forest, Waddles snorted, snout to the ground and making pig noises.

“Good work, Waddles!” Mabel cheered, a large grin on her face. “Use that snout! Find Dipper!”

“Mabel, you realize this is a pig, right?”

“Hush Grunkle Stan! You’ll ruin Waddles’ focus!”

Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if I should worry,” he muttered, looking at his niece in mild skepticism. “Still can’t believe you’re the Queen now.”

Mabel beamed “Since Mom and Dad are sick, it’s time for this princess to Queen it up!” she dashed forward, armor gleaming brightly as they walked through a patch of sunlight. “Hopefully when we find Dipper, they’ll get better.”

“Don’t count on it,” Stan muttered. “They’ve had the knowledge of that deal they made for a long time. You can’t break the broken.”

“You can do anything you set your mind to,” Mabel countered, still looking straight ahead.

A calming silence fell before them, the hopeful look in Mabel’s eyes dimming a bit. Normally she wasn’t one to doubt herself, but for now, she allowed a small bit of pessimism to settle. What if they couldn’t find Dipper? What if that Bill guy had eaten him? Did demons even eat humans? What if Bill had turned Dipper into soup!

 _“Stop it,”_ she lectured herself. _“If something bad happened to Dipper, you would have known about it. I will find Dipper, no matter what. No matter what it costs me.”_

“Mabel, look out!”

She was pulled out of her musings, armored foot tripping past a wire. She let out a screech, Waddles squealing in terror as the net closed around her, pulling her up into the air. Stan instantly grabbed his sword, ready to slice the strings away when a voice called out.

“Wait!”

He paused, glaring around the small clearing. Not very large; with a few trees making a sort of circle around them. “Like a fairy ring,” he snarled, his deep loathing for those little creatures arising. “Show yourself! I may be old, but I can still kill you!”

For a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the soft breeze rustling through the woods. Mabel continued to struggle in the netting, her hand almost close enough to reach her pink bedazzled sword, but her right hand was in an awkward angle behind her back. “Stan!” she called out. “Help me! I’m stuck!”

“I can see that, kiddo!”

“Shmebulock!”

They both looked around, wondering where the voice had come from. Stan scanned the trees, making a circle around Mabel’s netting. In the empty pockets between the trees, he could only see darkness. A few times he swore he saw eyes looking at him, but he shrugged it off. The sun beat down warmly on the top of his head, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as he felt the presence of the intruder.

“Show yourself!” he shouted.

A rustling from the bush across from Mabel’s caught his attention. He creeped forward, sword raised and an eerily calm look on his face set.

He just wasn’t expecting a tiny man to jump out him, small; but surprisingly sharp teeth latched onto his nose. The sword dropped to the forest ground with a clunk as he tried to remove the man from his nose. “Shit! Fuck, ow! Get off me!”

“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel gasped as she twisted around in the netting like a fish. “Language!”

“Hey, there aren’t kids around so I can swear!” he grumbled, successfully upper cutting the creature from his face. “What the? Is that…a gnome?”

“Shmebulock!”

The gnome, a tiny bearded man with a red hand, waved to them. Stan rubbed his nose, the blood from the bite marks stinging against his fingertips. “Oh that’s it,” he stomped forward, grabbing his sword up on the way. “I’m going to slice you into pieces and feed you to the king!”

“Shmebulock!”

The gnome moved away, and suddenly, twenty or so other gnomes appeared, all of them looking relatively the same. The one whom Stan deduced to be the leader, stepped forward; being the only gnome to look relatively younger than the others. “Stupid human!” the gnome spat. “I’m Jeff, King of the gnomes and we have been following you since your arrival into The Unknown!”

“Ew, creepy!” Mabel cringed distastefully. “What do you want from us?”

“For you, young lady, to be our Queen!”

Under normal circumstances, Mabel would have laughed, but right now, she was pissed. This wasn’t normal for her, but her twin brother was out there with some crazy demon and these gnomes were blocking her from her mission. So pissed, was a bit of an understatement. “Release me at once!” she growled. “I will never be your Queen!”

Jeff looked up at her, tiny hands on his hips in a dramatic pose. “Now come on, don’t be difficult!” he glared up at her Grunkle. “If you refuse, we’ll take the old man and eat him!”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Oh yes, we would!”

“Well you won’t!” Mabel struggled around, fingers brushing the hilt of her weapon. “I’ll come down there and stop you! Just give me…a few…seconds…”

“Don’t worry,” Stan pointed the sword directly underneath Jeff’s chin. “This will be quick and painless. You won’t feel a thing.”

Jeff, for a very good reason, gulped. He stepped back a little, little beads of sweat trickling down his face as he stared at the weapon. “Come on now,” he protested. “Let’s be reasonable here, we just want our Queen.”

“And I want you to get away from my niece,” Stan growled. “So we don’t always get what we want, now do we?”

“Gnomes!” Jeff pointed a tiny hand at Stan, eyes narrowed evilly as a grin appeared. “Attack!”

“No!”

“Stop this at once!”

To Mabel’s surprise, and Stan’s too, the gnomes stopped. From among the brush, a figure stepped forward. For a moment, Mabel felt the worry rise in the back of her throat, like a need to vomit. Out from the shadows, she was expecting a rather fearsome looking creature, with large teeth and maybe scary vampire wings, but…not an ordinary looking man.

 _“This guy is,”_ her conscious spoke up, completely ignoring the situation. _“Kind of hot!”_

The ordinary looking man with neat black hair and a cool; relaxed look stared at the gnomes. “Jeff, you will leave these travelers alone. It is not right to force others to do things they do not want to do.”

Jeff snorted, face twisting from fear to disgust in a single moment. “I don’t have to listen to you, Tad,” the gnome huffed, crossing his tiny little arms over his chest. “You’re just a God.”

Mabel turned her head back to the stranger, Tad, hair getting caught in her face. She huffed, trying to move the strands from her face to see him better. He appeared to be calm still, though she had a feeling he wanted to roll his eyes. That’s what she would do, always. Tad just sighed. “You asked for it.”

His form changed before she could even blink. With a burst of neon purple light, his formed shaped into one she couldn’t exactly describe. It seemed like a giant purple flame, if that’s what it was, with red flaming eyes and jagged red teeth. It let out a howl; the sound of nails raking on a chalk board is what she heard. She attempted to cover her ears, squeezing her eyes shut to get the horrifying image out of her head. She could vaguely hear Waddles squealing and Grunkle Stan throwing himself to the ground to avoid the blast the monster? Whatever this thing was? Shot out.

The gnomes scattered, some of their hats on fire and running around screaming. Jeff yelped as a flame landed very near his face; his little red hat now singed with black. “Retreat!” he called out to the remaining gnomes. “Retreat!”

They hurried back into the brush, screeching and calling out bloody murder as they left. Tad returned to his form, letting out an annoyed sigh. “I hate having to do that,” he grumbled, adjusting his clean white shirt. He looked up to the netting, letting an apologetic grin adorn his face. “Sorry about that, young lady. Let me get you down from there.”

He snapped his fingers, the net instantly falling to the ground. She managed to land on her feet, instantly rushing to Stan’s side. She helpd the older man up, one arm around his waist to support him. She turned back to Tad, keeping a vague reminder in her mind from Dipper’s old journals.

_Trust no one in The Unknown._

She instantly drew her sword, but not in a threatening way. She kept it close to her and Stan, making sure they had some distance from Tad. “Who are you?” she demanded calmly, but not unfriendly. “Why did you help us? Are you another demon?”

“Demon?” Tad looked anything but offended. “I assure you, young lady, I am no demon. Granted there are some demons in the forest, but I am not one. I am a God.”

“A God?” Grunkle Stan barked a laugh. “I’ve heard some crazy shit in my life, but this takes the cake.”

“I am not joking,” Tad’s voice was calm, looking at Stan with distaste. “My name is Tad Strange, the God of Morality and Sanity.”

“I am Mabel,” Mabel shared a look with Stan, both of them silently agreeing to not say anything more than that. “And this is my Grunkle Stan and my pig, Waddles.”

“Oink,” was all Waddles had to say about the matter.

Tad smiled genuinely, the feature making his blue eyes appear a bit brighter. “Nice to meet you,” he started she could hear the sincerity from his tone. “Now, what are you two doing here in The Unknown? Don’t you know it’s dangerous? No person in their right mind would come here willingly.”

“Yeah, well we’re not most people,” Stan grumbled.

“We’re…on a mission,” Mabel said carefully, still distrusting this God greatly. “We’re are looking for someone we’ve lost.”

Tad stared at her for a very long time; midnight blue orbs narrowed in thought. She wouldn’t deny it; her cheeks turned pink. Sure there were a lot of hot guys at the castle, but this was a GOD! A really hot, sensible God! This was just like one of her favorite Romance novels, Midnight! Only the guy was a vampire that shone like a disco ball.

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to that Dipper boy by any chance, would you?”

The mention of Dipper’s name brought her back to being serious. She raised her sword a bit higher, jaw set and eyes narrowed in determination. “What do you know of my brother? Tell me!”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Tad nodded. “I know that an acquaintance of mine, Bill Cipher, has him.”

“Take us to him!”

Tad frowned in disapproval. “I really don’t think you’d want to meet Cipher and especially if he has your brother. It’s not safe for any human to be in The Unknown right now. Things are changing.”

Stan narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, “things are changing?”’ he questioned harshly.

Tad glanced around him, eyeing the woods as if something were watching him. “I really shouldn’t be saying anything right here,” he whispered loudly, voice dropping several octaves. “The Unknown has more than one pair of ears. You two aren’t going to make it very far on your own.”

The wind blew strongly, and suddenly, Mabel shivered. Not out of cold, but out of fear. It crept up on her like ice, her stomach twisting like she was going to be sick. She could feel the eyes on her, every single pair judging her and laughing at her, waiting for her to slip up and make a mistake that would ensue their victory. They wanted her to give up; to die here without ever achieving her goal. Dipper would die if she didn’t find him. She didn’t know what hurt more.

“I will help you,” Tad lay a soothing hand on her shoulder; the skin warm against the cold armor. “And no, I don’t want something out of return. It is my duty to help others for the sake of morality.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, showing off her pearly whites. “Grunkle Stan, what do you say?”

Stan narrowed his eyes, glaring at the God in hostility. “I don’t trust him, Mabel. You can’t trust anything in The Unknown.”

“But what choice do we have?”

Stan sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing them with his shirt. “We don’t have a choice, kiddo,” he mumbled in defeat. “We don’t have a choice.”

Tad nodded, looking at Stan thoughtfully for a moment. “You remind me of the other one, Stanford,” he let a sad smile coat his face. “That situation ended nastily.”

Stan’s eyes widened. “You knew Ford?”

“Oh yes,” Tad grimaced. “He stayed with Cipher and Jill. It’s not a pretty story, that’s for sure.”

Mabel raised an eyebrow. “We know who Cipher is, but who’s Jill?”

“The former Goddess of Sanity. I have her title now because she’s dead. Bill killed his own counterpart.”

* * *

 

**(Dipper)**

The storm hit without either of them knowing.

A few minutes ago, he’d being trying to ignore Bill’s incessant chattering when he felt it. A big fat raindrop landed on his nose, starling out of his thoughts and making him fall off the rock he was currently sitting on. Bill looked up to the sky, holding out a stylish hand. “Well what do you know,” the God chuckled. “The Rain God decided today should be rainy.”

All Dipper wanted to shout was, “NO SHIT!”

But he didn’t. He wasn’t about ready to turn into his Grunkle Stan.

“So, are we just going to stand here in the rain?” he asked the God, hands on his hips. “Because I for one don’t want to get wet.”

“No problem, Pine tree,” Bill snapped his fingers. In a split second, a large yellow tent with an eye painted on it appeared. “Step inside; we’ll be dry in here.”

“There is no way I am going into that tent with you!”

Bill just shrugged, clearly indifferent. “Do what you want,” he lifted the zipper to open the dry space, crawling in. “If you want to get wet, that’s you’re problem.”

Dipper rolled his eyes. There was no way in hell he was about to share a small space with a God. What if he tried to molest him? He shivered slightly at the breeze; his thin shirt not prepared for the cold front. He could wait out this rain, right? It couldn’t be that bad, right?

Several cold, fat raindrops smacked him the face. Within a minute, the sprinkles turned into a down pour. He let on an undignified noise and hurried into the tent, pulling the zipper back down and crawling inside. Bill looked very pleased. “Figured you’d come in here. Don’t want to be a wet hen, do you?”

Dipper just glared at him. “If you try to molest me…”

“Relax,” Bill leaned back onto the grass floor. “I’m not going to molest you; I’m not really into that kind of stuff.”

“But you threatened to do it earlier!”

“Yeah, Pine tree, threatened,” Bill glanced up at him through the bangs dancing over his left eye. “If you made me mad enough, I might, but I do have some pride in myself to not act like you pathetic humans.”

Alright, so he would be a liar if he said being called pathetic didn’t bother him. He crossed his arms, drawing his knees up to his chest. “If you dislike me so much, then let me go home.”

“Go home?” Bill raised an eyebrow in scorn. “You are home, Pine tree. You just need to forget about those silly mortals that you call “family,”’

Removing his jacket that was now soaked, Dipper twisted the material to get rid of the excess water. “What do you have against family? Against my family? Aren’t the rest of the Gods your family?”

“Technically,” Bill replied airily, left hand extended in the air. A cobalt blue dot was on his finger and as he waved it, little patterns would appear in the air. “But only by Ichor. If one died, it would mean nothing to me. Only more power to gain by getting their title.”

Dipper fell silent. Outside, the rain pattered down onto the side of the tent. The wind blew strongly against the yellow cloth made shelter, but it didn’t budge. Bill looked very satisfied. “The old North wind’s blowing,” he mused quietly. “The guys a jerk, just so you know. Very pompous.”

“Almost like a certain God I know,” he gave a tiny grin, ignoring Bill’s feign look of offence. He returned back to staring at the tent, jumping a little when thunder rumbled loudly. “I used to be scared of storms when I was little.”

“Most little fleshies are.”

Dipper ignored that comment. “Mom used to hold me and Mabel when we were scared. If it was at night, she let us sleep in her and Dad’s bed,” he felt his throat tighten as he thought of his family and the times that now seemed so far away. “Mabel now makes tea when it rains. Tea with confetti.”

Bill wrinkled his nose in disgust. “That sounds gross.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” he grinned, surprised with how easy it was to talk to the God. “That’s just how Mabel is. Random and full of energy. I can’t imagine life without her.”

He felt the mood shift. One moment from being a little light hearted to being somber. He studied Bill’s face, watching as the God remained impassive. He knew that face; Bill was thinking about something from his past. “Bill?” he asked cautiously. “Bill, can I ask you something?”

“What?” was all Bill replied, voice like stone and missing its usual vibrancy.

“Have you ever…done something you regret? Hurt someone and now you regret it?”

He half expected Bill to laugh and say no, but he was surprised by the response he got. Bill sat up, stretching like a cat and removing the top hat from his head. He stared at it with yellow eyes that held almost no emotion. At least, not one he could identify.

“There was someone, once. Almost thirty years ago,” Bill started off coolly, fiddling with the hat now in his hands. “Two people, actually, though one is completely dead to me now.”

 “What do you mean?”

“Someone very close to me,” The God’s voice was distant, almost a bit edgy as he spoke. “She was probably the only Goddess that I considered to be actual family.”

“Who?”

“My counterpart, Jill,” Bill’s eyes narrowed in anger as he looked at Dipper with such a raw emotion. “And your Great Uncle, Stanford.”

Dipper’s eyes widened. “What? You knew Grunkle Ford?”

“Knew him?” Bill snorted. “I’m the one who found him. He’s the reason for everything bad that happened thirty years ago. We almost made it; almost made it home. Then he had to ruin things and now Jill is dead.”

The God closed his one eye, sighing deeply. “I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he grumbled, turning over onto his back and now facing the left side of the tent. “I’m going to relax now; so don’t bother me.”

But Dipper’s mind was racing now. Bill knew something about Grunkle Ford! The very thought made a large smile appear on his face. Maybe now was the chance to figure out what had happened to the man. If he could find his other Uncle, then maybe Stan wouldn’t look so sad and lonely all the time. Maybe now…his family could be truly happy.

With that thought on his mind, he lay back on the grass, closing his eyes. Letting the images of his family’s faces run through his mind as he drifted off into the land of dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what to do! I've been contemplating adding some developing Tad/Mabel in the story! I hope to have this one finished by January so the sequel can begin! I have so much in store!


	9. The box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper meets Greg and becomes the owner of something he never asked for in the first place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! *Throws candy at everyone!* The next chapter will be in Bill's point of view and we'll get some more insight on what happened with Ford and why Jill no longer exists. I swear Ford is not the bad guy! I'm not even certain if The Beast is the bad guy, to be honest. I have an idea on who is, but we won't get to that till later.

_Bill didn’t remember much about the box._

_The box, is what Cernunnos and the woman called it, was dark. A kind of darkness that no human being could understand. It was empty and seemed to go on forever. Most would think the box to be small, but it seemed vast and endless. It was cold, a kind of bone chilling chill that left an imprint into his core. There was nothing but darkness and various gods and goddesses that wandered around._

_He was formless then, just an idea or a thought really. Maybe a concept; he didn’t really know. The only thing he could feel was a hunger. A hunger for many things that didn’t make sense or could cause danger or even just be random things that were spontaneous and had no meaning. He had all these thoughts and feelings coursing through him that he didn’t understand. He didn’t know how to handle them or even if he could. He always felt tense; like he could keep running forever and no one could stop him. No one could stop these thoughts or feelings._

_Until he felt her._

_Bill didn’t know who she was at the time, but he remembered finding her. He felt drawn to her; like a moth to a flame. She emanated calmness, a feeling of serenity he’d never known. With her, he felt nothing but peace. He couldn’t feel the rationale and calmness she had; he was a creature of impulse after all. But if he was near her, he could feel the effects she had on everyone around them._

_He stayed with her for a long time, years perhaps, he couldn’t be certain. Till one day the box opened and a bright burst of light appeared before them all. The first one to escape, Cernunnos, had always stayed near the top of the box as if he hoped to one day be released He escaped into the bright burst of light and Bill followed behind, pushing past the others who either scurried further into the decaying darkness or journeyed into the light._

_Bill followed, feeling her alongside him. They pushed past the others trying to escape or retreat, practically clawing their way out in a sense. They hurried into the light, not prepared for the world around them. Cernunnos appeared in front of them, tall and grim looking. A woman stood beside him, young; with dark brown eyes and pretty black hair._

_He noticed himself for the first time. He looked exactly like the woman holding the box in her pale hands. The only differences were that he was taller and wasn’t as pale. His hair, as he looked at himself in a mirror near the dark wood walls, was a golden blonde and his eyes were piercing amber. He had a top hat and yellow suit, contrasting to Cernunnos who was dressed in black robes._

_Then, there was her. Later on he would know her as Jill, but right now, he could only recognize her by the aura she projected. She looked similar to him, only not as tall. Still taller than the woman holding the box, but her hair was golden and fell into waves against her back. Her eyes were a dark blue and seemed to hold an air of reason in them._

_When they later on took titles for themselves, he proclaimed himself as the God of Insanity. Naturally, Jill took on the title of the Goddess of Sanity. They were the first counterparts to be introduced to the others, Lust and Love following soon after._

_They observed the humans over the years, learning their behaviors and studying them. The woman with dark hair guided them, pointing out which emotions meant what and how humans reacted to certain things. He and Jill considered each other brother and sister, even though there was no biological way they were related. They were first generation Gods, the personalities of the humans. The second generation would come when they fooled around with other Gods and had offspring._

_Bill had no intention of having sex with other Gods and Goddesses. Sure he could have if he wanted to and some thought that him being the God of Chaos, he would be into the randomness and spontaneity that came with insanity. Of course, how could they define insanity? As the woman with the box told them, everything was up to one’s own interpretation. Insanity could be a bad and a good thing and Bill believed that with every fiber of his being._

_The woman they took with them to their own world, which somehow the woman knew how to open. At one time, he might have known her name, but now it was foggy. He’d known many humans throughout his immortal life and not once could he ever remember her name. Maybe that’s what she wanted; he didn’t know, but then again, he and the others didn’t remember much about her. Except for Cernunnos. He seemed to know everything, but the God of Fear also tended to be a liar so no one could every really believe what he was saying. Then again, what would he benefit from lying?_

_The God of Fear already knew how to control the others and keep them in line. For millennia, the woman gave him the box and then she disappeared. Whether or not she was dead, Bill didn’t know. The God of Fear just kept the box hidden from the others, refusing to allow any of the other Gods to see it. As far as Bill was concerned, just messing with God of Fear’s paranoia of the box was fun, but Jill always advised against it. She was convinced the last of the first generation Gods was still inside._

_“Think about it,” she said to him one day as they were basking in the midday sun. Large white puffy clouds in the sky as they pointed out random shapes. “He never lets any of see inside. He just keeps the thing locked up in his castle. I think he’s afraid to look inside.”_

_“Well it’s not our problem,” he commented, letting out a sigh. “Why should I care?”_

_“I was just saying,” she glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Every God here has a Counterpart, whether they be first generation or next. I couldn’t even imagine not having you.”_

_He didn’t know what was sadder. The fact that he never told her the same thing, or that her heart never truly belonged to him._

* * *

 

It had rained the whole night and much to Dipper’s delight, the morning was cloudless and bright. The sun had risen fairly high into the sky and the grass was still wet from the rain. In his own opinion, everything smelled good after it rained and he stepped outside the tent, inhaling deeply. “Ah, nature,” he sighed, stretching his arms above his head and wincing slightly when he heard his elbow pop. “Damn,” he grumbled. “Sleeping on the grass sucks.”

“If you wanted an actual bed, all you had to do was ask,” Bill spoke, arriving out of the tent and wiping the sleep from his eye. He stretched his long limbs and let out a loud yawn. With the snap of gloved fingers, the tent disappeared in a flame of blue smoke. He watched as Dipper gaped at him, snapping his fingers again and letting him watch as the dirt and grass disappeared from his body. “Tada! Impressed Pine tree?”

Dipper flushed, turning away from the God. “No,” he huffed, subtly lifting his arm and taking a whiff. “Gross, how long has it been since I bathed?”

“Several days,” Bill replied easily, examining him gleefully. “Want me to take care of that?”

“I can clean myself!” he grumbled, eyeing the God carefully. “Do I look like a child to you? I’ve cleaned myself since I was six years old.”

“You’re my pet,” Bill just replied cheerfully, snapping his fingers and letting a blue fire engulf Dipper. The boy let out a small scream before realizing the flames weren’t hurting him. After a few seconds of being submerged in fire, it disappeared and he felt the warm glow he felt after bathing in his bath tub. Bill looked pleased with himself, admiring him with an almost glowing golden yellow eye. “Not so bad now that you’re cleaned up.”

Dipper just rolled his eyes and adjusted his now clean hair begrudgingly. “Thanks,” he offered, making the God’s grin grow even wider. “But I am capable of doing things, you know.”

Bill just shook his head, the smile now taking on a different emotion. Similar to last evenings smile. It wasn’t gleeful or happy. Of course, he had never seen Bill give a truly happy smile. There always seemed to be a bit of bitterness in the God’s smiles, as if he were pushing something back that he didn’t want to think about. “Of course you are,” Bill muttered. “But I can’t have you thinking you’re in charge, now can I?”

Dipper just scowled. “I obviously can’t do anything to hurt you, Bill. You’re like, a God. What can humans do to Gods?” he sighed, stuffing his hands in jacket pocket. “Besides, even though we kind of got off on the wrong start, you haven’t been all bad recently. So, I don’t think I would do anything to hurt you.”

For a few seconds, Bill just stared at him with what looked to be a dumbfounded expression. It didn’t last long and it disappeared the second it came, but he swore the God almost looked bothered. “Humans can do a lot more than you think,” he replied with an air of mystery, tilting his blonde head back to let the sun warm his face. “You hold more power than you realize.”

“What power?” Dipper scoffed, glancing at the tall God. “All I have is my knowledge and my family dynasty. We can trace back to a thousand years ago, but that’s when it stops.”

“Well of course,” Bill let out a snide laugh. “You humans only want to remember what’s relevant to you. The minute you don’t remember something, you assume it’s not important.”

“Well…do you remember everyone you’ve met?”

“Of course not, Pine tree,” the God raced over to him, bopping him on the nose just to be annoying. “Why would I remember the insignificant humans? I only remember the ones who impressed me,” he let a gloved hand trail down his face. “Or have angered and encored my wrath upon them.”

Dipper paused, now feeling uncomfortable to Bill’s close proximity. “And which one of those categories do I fall under?”

Bill leaned forward, their lips barely brushing each other’s as Bill smirked. “Think about it, Pine tree,” he murmured, kissing him chastely before dancing off. “Use that smart brain of yours!”

Dipper let out a noise of disgust, wiping furiously at his lips as if that would somehow remove the God’s imprint. “Gross!” he shouted back, not exactly angered but not happy either. “Quit doing that!”

Bill snickered. “’Fraid I can’t, Pine tree. I like you too much. Now, I have to go do some things! You be a good Pine tree and not get yourself into trouble! Remember, I’ll be watching you!”

In a flash of bright gold, Bill disappeared, leaving Dipper standing among the dark trees and green grass. “Now what?” he complained out loud, looking to his surroundings. “What do I do?”

After several moments of standing around and doing nothing, he eventually set out on one of the trails nearby. The days were beginning to become cooler, at least, in The Unknown standards. He was beginning to grow accustomed to how Weather Gods fought over how the daily weather in The Unknown should be. So as he munched on an apple he found nearby, he pondered on whether or not he should have asked Bill for an umbrella.

The leaves crunched underneath his feet as he walked. He couldn’t remember exactly where Wirt’s home was, but did he really want to see his new friend after seeing what…happened the last time? He didn’t want Wirt to know he’d been essentially spying on him and The Beast. How would a conversation like that even go about?

So he continued to wander around, trying to ignore the feeling of being watched. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if he found out the trees had eyes and he could have sworn the squirrels running around on said trees had bowties.

He then found himself near a small grove, the clear water sparkling in the distance. He touched his throat, now suddenly feeling dry. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to get a drink? It would do wonders for his parched throat and he had no idea on how long he’d been walking around in the forest.

He stepped towards the small body of water, kneeling down in the brownish gray sand. The water felt cool against his fingertips as he dipped his hands in the water. He cupped his hands, bringing the cool liquid to his mouth. It trickled down his throat and he greedily brought more water into his hands, drinking it as slowly as he could. He hadn’t realized he was this thirsty and was now very glad he had stopped by to get a drink.

After a few minutes of drinking, he continued to sit by the water. Creating little ripples in the stream out of boredom, he let the droplets drip down his finger tips and back into the water. The sun beat warmly against the back of his neck and he took the time to appreciate the silence. Not many trees were nearby and thankfully there were none of those Edelwood trees that Wirt was forced to chop down. No, it was quiet. Peaceful. Tranquil.

He swirled his finger absentmindedly into the water, drawing it back up when he felt his finger was getting too cold. As he pulled it away, much to his surprise and horror, the water followed up without him even touching it. He let out a gasp, but found he was too mesmerized by whatever he was doing.

He moved his right hand to the left, watching with wide dark eyes as the water followed. He brought his left hand in, moving the two hands in the opposite direction. The water simply obeyed him, separating before coming back together when he clapped his hands.

“WOAH! THAT’S SO COOL! DID YOU SEE THAT ANNIE? DID YOU SEE THAT?”

“I saw it.”

He let out a shriek, gasping as a little boy with dark blonde hair in green overalls ran towards him. He was half tempted to back away from the child, but when he saw Annie, he relaxed a bit more. “It’s you,” he spoke, feeling the surprise dying down. “What are you doing here?”

“We were taking a walk,” Annie replied in what appeared to be a bored tone as she eyed the small boy carefully. “Gregory likes taking walks. He enjoys seeing The Unknown.”

“Oh, uh, I see.”

She took a seat on the ground, laying her fearsome sword next to her. She closed her blue eyes briefly, allowing a small smile to decorate her face when Greg laughed, chasing after a frog that had arrived with him. “That’s Jason,” she indicated towards the green amphibian. “He’s been with us for over two hundred years.”

“You can make a frog immortal?” Dipper asked, albeit a bit skeptically.

“And you can levitate water,” she stated simply, answering the question. “Bill was right; you do have magic.”

“So he’s said before,” he grumbled, recounting the time he actually forced Bill away from him without touching him. He pressed now dry fingers to his birthmark, surprised by the tingling sensation. “It has something to do with my birthmark.”

Annie nodded. “Not surprising. Often humans gifted with magic have it focused on a certain part of their body; usually something that sets them apart from other humans,” she sighed, letting her fingers dig through the sand. “Gregory, thank goodness, is just an ordinary human boy.”

Well, aside from being an immortal eight year old, Dipper couldn’t argue. The boy raced over to them, plopping himself in Annie’s lap before staring up at Dipper with large dark eyes. Those dark gray eyes that reminded him vaguely of someone else’s… “Are you a God?” the boy asked, smiling widely.”

“Uh, no?”

“Aw beans!” the boy pouted, crossing his small arms over his chest. “Then who are you? Do you know Wirt? He’s my big brother and we must be playing hide and seek because he’s been hiding pretty well.”

Wirt. Greg. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. He noticed the look Annie gave him, eyes piercing into his; daring him to say something. To not make her angry, he just smiled and nodded, trying to ignore the slamming feeling his heart was giving him. “That’s nice,” he lied. “I’m sure Wirt just wants to give you the best game of your life.”

“Yeah!” the boy grinned, throwing sand into the air. When a majority of it landed in Annie’s hair, the woman didn’t look like she cared too much. “Come on Jason!” he stood up, grabbing the frog by its long arm. “Let’s go find him!”

The boy dashed off into the woods, the thick brush making a swishing sound as he ran away into the distance. Annie stood up, brushing the sand off her red dress. Fiddling in the satchel around her waist, she dug up a square wooden box carved with ornate and almost ancient looking engravings. “Here,” she handed the box gently into his lap. “I’m giving this to you.”

“A box? Thanks,” he raised an eyebrow, staring at the small object. His fingers danced towards the lid, almost ready to open it. “So, is there something inside or-“

“No!” she protested, narrowing her eyes. “You must not open it. At least, not right now.”

“What do you mean?”

She frowned, glancing towards the trees. “When the time comes, you will know what to do with it. A great sacrifice is coming; I can feel it. I don’t know what’s inside this box, but I have a feeling it can help. Whatever it is, it’s different from us Gods.”

Dipper looked down on the box, a part of him half tempted to throw it away. “Alright,” he sighed, opening his jacket pocket and tucking the box inside. “I won’t open it. Not until the time is right, I guess.”

“Thank you,” she smiled in relief, cocking her head slightly as she heard the sound of childish laughter in the distance. “I better go after him. It was nice seeing you again, Prince Dipper. May the rest of your stay here in The Unknown be pleasant.”

He didn’t know what she meant by that, and he never did get the chance to ask as she walked away into the thicket. He sighed, flopping back into the sand. Other than the night when Bill had fought Arachne, he had shown no signs of using magic. Now, he could for some reason levitate water and now he was given right to holding some stupid box.

However, the thing that bothered him the most were the two brothers who were chasing each other around in circles, not even knowing that they lived in the same forest. One in the body of a child and the other carrying a lantern around like a beacon of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what to do! Hope you all are having a wonderful winter!


	10. The Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Grunkle Stan learn more from Tad about what goes on in The Unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hey guys! 
> 
> *Ducks as pitchforks and torches are thrown*
> 
> Sorry it's been pretty much an entire freaking year since I updated this. I said in my other story that I wasn't going to abandon this and I did say this to other comments as well. I wasn't feeling the inspiration to work on this. I would open it up and nothing would come to me. I absolutely refuse to give you content I haven't thought about and rewritten numerous of times. I worked on this chapter is small segments each month and while I apologize profusely on its short length, I hope you're happy none the less.
> 
> I don't know when I'll update this again. They might be sparse and may even take months, but I want you to know I'm not abandoning it. Baby steps, right? I'm trying to ease myself back into this universe since it's been a year and all. Please don't be too mad! Sometimes my muse comes and goes (damn her) and sometimes I feel more inspiration on other stories, like the series I'm working on right now. If you have ideas, I am always willing to listen to them. Maybe there will be one that I just love and it kick starts my muse again :)

Never before in her life had she seen such a strange house.

A small little home had been built into the tree, by reasons she couldn’t even begin to comprehend were possible. It felt almost like the tiny nooks and crannies she would find her twin in during their childhood years in the castle. A tall tree, surrounded and tall grass, with forest animals running by. Stopping only momentarily to pause at them. She couldn't imagine how anyone could live in a tree, but once they stepped inside, she was immediately impressed by its charm. 

The whole front area was made entirely of light bleached wood. They were currently sitting at a round wooden table, outlooking through a small round window to the outside world. It’s nothing like the fancy dark polished dining table they have at home. Supposedly that table was carved from an ancient tree; everything they owned seemed to be ancient and decorative. But this home, was so simple yet lovely in its own way. She couldn’t help but feel comforted by its simplicity. 

“So, you’re called Tad Strange. Is that, uh, a common name or something?”

Mabel elbowed her grunkle in the ribs. Hard. “Grunkle Stan,” she narrowed her eyes, keeping her voice low so their host wouldn’t hear her. “Don’t be so rude.”

The older man ignored his niece, turning his old cataract affected eyes on the god or whatever he was. Tad was currently making tea over a fire, boiling the water in an ancient looking kettle while staring intently at the flames with troubled blue orbs. “It’s alright,” the god spoke, not looking up from his task. “My name is rather peculiar for someone with my abilities. A bit of oxymoron, don’t you think?”

“An oxy what?”

Ignoring her grunkle’s confused question, she studied the god in front of her. Reasonably tall, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw line. His black hair lay gently against his head; tan skin looking warm against the flames that flickered in the hearth. His eyes though, she had never seen a pair of more beautiful blue eyes in her entire life. They didn’t compare to the ordinary blue eyes of people in the court, or the icy December blues that Pacifica had. These eyes were like the dark blue of a lake; mysterious yet serene. They sparkled like diamonds and the more she looked at him, the more drawn she felt. The more she wanted to be near him; to get to know him. 

“So you knew my brother, Stanford,” Grunkle Stan’s voice snapped her out of her daydream and she instantly turned pink with shame. Dipper, her flesh and blood, was missing and here she was daydreaming over an attractive god. She immediately drew her eyes away from the ancient being, focusing now on her grunkle’s narrowed eyes. “Is he still here in The Unknown? I think it’s time we had a family chat.”

“He was here, but that was a very, very long time ago,” Tad shook his head, gazing sympathetically at the old man. “And as I said before, what happened between him and the Cipher twins was a complete disaster.”

She felt Waddles pull at her pants leg and she quickly picked him up, pulling him onto her lap. Tad removed the kettle from the fire, reaching over to their teacups to pour the scalding hot water. Instantly, the room was filled with the scent of some herbal tea. She had never been much of a tea drinker, but it smelled so inviting, she took a sip. Warm, comforting to her strained nerves. No wonder Dipper liked the stuff so much.

“So what happened?” Grunkle Stan pushed on, ignoring the tea in front of him. “Where’s my brother?”

Tad grimaced. “To answer that question, I have to start from the beginning. The very beginning.”

The god sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting in swiftly, staring into his own cup of tea. “My brothers and sisters and I, we came from a box-”

“A box. You’ve got to be joking.”

“Grunkle Stan!”

If Tad was irritated by Stan’s outburst, he didn’t show it. He stared vaguely into his cup, as if imagining another time so very long ago. “I don’t remember who our creator is; only that they disappeared a short while after we came into existence in this world. Maybe some of the others remember; I know Cernunnos certainly does. But, we our gods. We represent the aspects of the humani race.”

“Humani?” she glanced over at Grunkle Stan, who merely shrugged his shoulders lazily. Tad nodded his head and she frowned. “I’ve never heard that term before.”

“I should think not; it’s a word my kind uses to describe your species,” he gave her a wan smile and she tried to ignore the warmth that crept into her face. And Grunkle Stan’s suspicious gaze. “I am the god of morality and sanity. Though originally, I was only the god of morality.”

“What happened?”

“Almost every god is born with a counterpart. The other half to their soul, if you will. Bill Cipher, the one who kidnapped your brother and nephew, is the god of insanity. His counterpart was the goddess of sanity.”

“Wait just a second,” Mabel cut in, leaning slightly across the table with a baffled expression. “You said that you were the god of morality and sanity!”

“Yes.”

“But that there is another goddess of sanity? How did that happen? That just sounds like extra work.”

Tad just smiled softly. “She  _ was  _ the goddess of sanity,” when neither of them said anything, he continued on tiredly. “The worst thing that can happen to a god is death. We’re immortal, but not invulnerable. Bill, he and his counterpart, Jill, as we called her got into a fight. A very serious fight that ended up with Jill’s death. Us gods, after another one dies, can take the title and powers of the previous one. I felt that since I was the god of morality, it only made sense to add sanity to my abilities.”

A pregnant silence descended over the small area, with only the noise from outside and the crackling snaps from the flames of the small fire. She couldn’t tell what was going on inside of that head of his, but she knew his expression well. She’d seen it everyday of her life. On her parents, her grunkle, even Dipper at some points. A troubled look of worry, of an anticipation she could only now begin to understand. 

Long ago, when she and Dipper were only small children, she can remember one of the most intimate moments with her father. They had been taking a walk together, just the two of them, when he brought her into the Room of Relics. She’d never been in there before; she and Dipper were forbidden to enter, and it was filled with important things that belonged to them. Her parents crowns, the royal scepters and capes, and most importantly, their family tree. An ancient, carefully preserved book with smooth cream colored pages and golden edges. A few of the front pages have been lost, indicating that they can’t trace their line all the way back, but from what she can see, their family is very, very, old. 

“This is the history of our family, Mabel,” he said in a kind inflection, pointing out the various kings and queens that had ruled. She could only stare at the graceful writing of her great grandfather and grandmother’s names, their images listed above. Then below was her grandfather, Sheramie, his wife, then her father and mother. The last two names that were written down made her smile.

“That’s me and Dipper,” she indicated towards the book, careful not to touch. “Daddy, we’re in here too!”

“Dipper and I,” he corrected gently, ruffling her curly dark hair. “Of course you’re in there. You’re the Crown Princess, Mabel.”

“Crown...Princess?” she knew she was a princess, but what did the crown have to do with anything?

“When I leave the throne, you will take over as queen. And one day, when you marry, your eldest child will take over as well. But let’s hope that doesn’t happen for a long, long time.”

She could remember with certainty how excited she’d been. Running straight to her brother and announcing to him that she was to be Queen of Gravity Falls one day. That he would have to do whatever she wanted and said. She had laughed at the sour look on his face at the mere fact of having to obey her. A long time ago, she would lay at night and dream. Dream of  the rights the crown would endow. Now, it only rested heavy on her heart.

“What did Bill want with Dipper?”

She almost didn’t hear Grunkle Stan’s question, far too absorbed in her thoughts to hear it. She blinked quickly, looking over back at Tad who only shook his head. “It’s something I’m not entirely sure about, but Bill seems to believe that one of your family remembers can return us to our world.”

“What? Are you serious,” Grunkle Stan leaned back in his seat, unimpressed. “You can’t expect me to believe this.”

Tad only narrowed his eyes. “Bill is the reason the rest of us are separated from our other siblings. He got into a fight with Cernunnos over something; I wasn’t close enough to hear why, but he somehow tore a part of our world and merged it into yours. The forest, what you call The Unknown, is what we have left from our world. It’s why we rarely ever leave it, you see.”

“So, he thinks Dipper will return you guys home then?” she asked, only a small portion of it making sense now. “How does he know it’s Dipper?”

“He was told Polaris’ Star will be his sign, that Pandora’s bane will come. He does have a symbol on his forehead, does he not?”

She felt a sick feeling of dread curl in the pit of her stomach at the reminder of the strange birthmark on her twin’s forehead. The mark that no doctor or healer could ever explain. “It’s been with him since he was a baby,” she spoke in a tone barely audible, but somehow, they managed to hear her. “It would hurt, sometimes. He said it felt like it was on fire. And then there were the nightmares...the ones about this place and an evil eye…”

“Your parents asked for a child and Bill just happened to be the God they found. This was no coincidence, you see. Bill created the sign on your brother’s forehead, knowing that the child who was born with it would bring his destiny. It just so happened to, unfortunately, be your brother.”

She swallowed hard. “So I escaped this destiny by a thread?”

“No, he knew it would be a male child,” Tad shook his head. “But I know it must be quite a shock.”

There are so many other questions she wanted to ask, but the moment she opened her mouth, Grunkle Stan cut her off with his gruff voice. “Who is this Cern-whatever his name is? I think Stanford mentioned him once before.”

Tad gripped his tea cup even tighter, knuckles paling at the obvious tension. He glanced out the tiny window of his home, as if there were something out there watching him. Which, for all she knew, there could be. “Cernunnos, also called The Beast, is my oldest brother. The eldest of all the gods and goddesses. The first one who crawled out of the box: Fear. He has no counterpart; no equal in power other than perhaps Bill. He’s not one I would ever hope for you to meet. He’s not known for being kind or generous to anyone. He has led many astray here, so you’re lucky I found you.”

“He can’t be that scary,” Grunkle Stan scoffed.

“His appearance can be quite frightening towards mortals. Since coming here, light weakens him; pains him. He’s not at full power anymore but I imagine with the events rolling now, he’s getting stronger. He needed the feed off the souls of others but when he found his current lantern bearer, that changed.”

“Lantern bearer?”

Tad sighed, pushing his tea cup back. “He stumbled across a boy, long before the kingdom of Gravity Falls was built,” he pauses for a moment, as if to let that information sink in. “He followed these two lost children around, allowing the eldest to take his younger brother back home in exchange for his loyalty. He’s immortal now; bound to his master. I’m not certain why he chose that boy, honestly I think he just bound him because he was bored.”

_ Because he was bored.  _ She could almost see the boy, recalling the same tale that Dipper had told her when they were twelve. Her blood boiled with anger. “He tore apart a family because he was  _ bored,”  _ she spat in disgust, mouth filling with a distasteful flavor. “That poor boy…”

“I think he’s okay with it, really,” Tad pondered. “They have a, uh, very intimate relationship.”

Okay, ew, she did not need to know that. She normally was not one to judge, but that didn’t sound right. She glanced over at her Grunkle, who wore a similar expression. “Sounds like Stockholm syndrome to me,” the old man grumbled. “Poor kid.”

Tad shrugged. “I don’t really know. None of us are allowed to be near him for very long. He’s quite...possessive.”

“Like I said, Stockholm syndrome.”

She swore she saw the god roll his eyes at the dark tone of the older man, but none of this sat right with her. This whole place; the entire forest, didn’t seem right. She could see why this place was banned. Danger, unpleasant creatures with ill intentions. And Dipper was somewhere at the heart of it, a pawn in the grand scheme of some cruel god. “We need to go,” she pushed back her chair, holding Waddles tightly in her arms. “I can’t let Dipper be a part of this anymore.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Tad waved one hand and the fire was doused, smoke rising up from the hearth and the smell of tea still hung in the air. He stood next to her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. She immediately felt her cheeks heat up and tried her best to ignore the glare her Grunkle was sending the two of them. “This place is dangerous. I will help you find your brother.”

She isn’t even sure she can trust this man; she knows Grunkle Stan doesn’t, but what other choice do they have? “Thank you,” she replied gratefully, nodding her head in gratitude. “But why, exactly, do you want to help us?”

“I’m the God of Morality,” he releases her shoulder and steps back, further into his home. “It’s my job to help those in need. And also because I’m worried about my brother.”

“You are? Why?”

He only smiled wanly. “He worries me. Constantly. He may be the God of Insanity, but he hasn’t completely right in the head since Jill died. He won’t stop until he fixes his mistake. Even if it kills him and everyone around.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all! Please comment!

**Author's Note:**

> That's all for now. Luff, luff, and knuffles!


End file.
